Honesty
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Honesty. That was was why Sasuke invited Jugo to live with him after the war. Jugo was the most honest person that he knew. He was one of the few people who had never tried to manipulate Sasuke. That and Jugo needed him to control is rages. He wasn't sure when that appreciation for his honesty, blossomed into love. But it did. He fell in love with his shield.
1. Chapter 1

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** This is a YAOI story. That means there will be at least one male x male pairing. Sasuke x Jugo. If either of those things bother you, you might want to turn back now. Reviews are always appreciated and I hope you enjoy this story.

 **Chapter Notation:** I decided to spell Jugo as Jugo because that's how it shows up on an internet search. The character category spells it Juugo, so I guess it can go either way. This also takes place after the war with Madara and will **diverge radically from cannon,** shortly thereafter.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter One

 _Honesty._ Jugo was probably the most honest person that he had ever met. Sasuke supposed that was why he did it. That was why he invited Jugo to live with him in the Uchiha District after the war.

Well that was one reason. If he was being honest with himself, it was nice to feel needed. Jugo definitely needed him. He needed Sasuke to prevent him from going into one of his rages.

"I haven't lived here since I was thirteen. So it's going to take some work before it's a comfortable place to live in again. Naruto did help me at least rebuild my family home though. There wasn't much left of the District after what Pein did." Sasuke warns the large man who was walking by his side.

It really was amazing how fast you could rebuild a house, once you had a few dozen shadow clones working in unison. Between Sasuke's and Naruto's clones, they had successfully reconstructed the house. The rest of the District was still mostly a pile of rubble. One day, Sasuke vowed that he would get around finishing the reconstruction.

"Oh that's fine. I've been living in a prison or in caves for most of the last few years, this is a step up." He reminds Sasuke.

Sasuke just nods. If he was being COMPELTELY honest with himself, there was one more reason why he decided to keep Jugo around. Jugo never judged him.

His loyalty was absolutely unwavering. Sasuke still didn't know what he had done to "earn" this loyalty, other than reminding the giant man of Kimimaro. But Sasuke had stopped questioning why this was the case and just accepted the fact that Jugo was Jugo. (There really was no other explanation required.)

"You can take any of the guest rooms." Sasuke says as he walks inside his home with Jugo.

"Alright. How is your arm feeling?" He asks.

"Fine. I'm on enough pain medication to knock out an elephant." Sasuke mutters.

Naruto had finally talked Sasuke into getting the arm transplant a few weeks ago. The last Uchiha was still getting used to the new limb. At first he had refused the transplant offer, thinking he didn't deserve it. It would be some small way for atoning for his sins.

His best friend just refused to let it go though. Naruto had been relentless. Finally, the blonde had been forced to argue with logic. Logically, Sasuke would be better able to protect the Leaf with two arms. Itachi would want him to protect the Leaf to the best of his abilities. That had finally done the trick and Sasuke had consented to the transplant.

"You should still change your bandages." Jugo says and Sasuke shrugs.

Immediately, he regretted it. Sasuke winced in agony. That was not his brightest idea.

"Yeah. Probably a good idea." He concedes as he sits down on the couch and waits for the pain to pass.

The gentle giant nods. He sits next to Sasuke and begins slowly unbandaging his arm. Jugo was relieved that the last Uchiha had allowed him to come live with him for this very reason.

He knew Sasuke. Sasuke was _**stubborn.**_ The young ninja would likely ignore the treatment regime that Sakura had given for his arm. He would almost certainly stop taking his medication and push himself too far. So Jugo was happy to be there to make sure that Sasuke didn't permanently damage his new limb.

"You would have made a good medic." Sasuke muses.

Jugo smiles and shakes his head. They both knew that wasn't true. Most of the time, he was actually a kind and calm person. But one never knew what would tip the scales and cause him to fly into a rage. There was a very good reason why he was known as Jugo of the Scales, after all.

"Only if you were willing to stand by me for the entire day. There is a good chance that I would lose control and end up killing a patient or even destroying the hospital, otherwise." He murmurs as he carefully wraps Sasuke's new arm.

"I'm sure in time, you'll learn how to control your rages without me." Sasuke assures him.

Jugo shakes his head. He did want to believe that, but he didn't. Sasuke was his cage. He was able to keep him from going into a rage. Sasuke was even able to stop him in the middle of one. Kimimaro was the only other person who had been able to do that before the last Uchiha.

"I don't think that is going to happen." He whispers softly.

"Anything is possible. I never thought that I would be back in the Leaf." Sasuke replies.

"Why did you decide to come back here?" Jugo asks as he runs his hand up and down the length of the new limb.

Sasuke closes his eyes and lets out a sigh of contentment. He knew why Jugo was doing it. He was trying to stimulate blood and chakra flow. He wasn't sure why that felt so good, it just did.

That's when he hears Jugo's question and frowns. It was such a simple question. Unfortunately, the answer was extremely complicated.

"Itachi died to protect this village. It's my way of honoring his sacrifices. That and Naruto. He never gave up on me. Not even after I gave up on myself." Sasuke whispers.

Sasuke reaches down and pulls up a bottle of sake from underneath the coffee table and two glasses. He pours himself a glass and one for Jugo. He had just raised the glass to his lips and taken the first sip, when Jugo decided he wanted to choke him to death with an outrageous question.

"I understand wanting to honor our brother. But did you really come back to the Leaf because you are in love with Naruto?" Jugo asks.

That's when Sasuke sputters and nearly chokes on his sake. What the Hell?! Why would Jugo ask _**THAT?!**_

"What?! No! I love him like a brother, not a lover! It'd be like kissing Itachi!" Sasuke exclaims.

"It was just a question, Sasuke. Does the idea of two men being in love disturb you?" The other member of Taka inquires respectfully.

If anyone else had dared to ask such a thing, Sasuke probably would have Chidoried them. Sasuke wasn't completely naïve. While the topic of sex had never been one that he spent an extraordinary amount of time pondering, he had lived in the Sound Village for a couple years. Suffice to say, he had seen far more than he had ever wanted to see.

"I'm not in love with Naruto. Not romantically, anyway. It's a brotherly love. NOTHING more. His gender was never a factor in the equation. And no, the idea of two men together doesn't disturb me. It's none of my business who someone else loves. " Sasuke insists.

"I believe you. I'm sorry that I made you choke. I didn't realize that this topic made you so uncomfortable." Jugo says.

"It's fine. Just don't ask me something like that while I'm drinking, again. It's late. I'm going to turn in." The raven haired man informs him and heads up the stairs, presumably to one of the bedrooms.

Sasuke heads to his room. He couldn't believe that Jugo had asked him that! His "shield" thought that he was in love with Naruto or at the very least interested in men. When he had EVER said or done anything that might make those two things a possibility?

Alright. He could somewhat understand the Naruto question. Their bond ran deeper than almost any other bond. The only bond that could rival it, had been his relationship with his actual brother. Still those were both BROTHERLY loves. It wasn't like he wanted to kiss the blonde on purpose. (He did not count those two accidental kisses.)

"Is it really that obvious?" Sasuke asks himself.

Yes, he knew there were women who preferred women. He was aware that there were men who were attracted to men. There were even some people who found both genders desirable. Sasuke just happened to be in the second camp.

He hadn't really been attracted to a woman before. For a few years, he had tried to rationalize that. Killing Itachi had taken priority over everything else. Once he found out the truth about Itachi, the war was in full swing. Again, there just hadn't been time to think about such things.

Sasuke had believed that he would eventually find a woman that he was attracted to. Then he'd restore his Clan with her. As time went on though, he knew he was lying to himself. At least to himself, he could admit that he was attracted only to men. He just wasn't ready to advertise that fact.

"He doesn't know. Jugo was just asking a question." Sasuke says and that was the last thought on his mind, before he fell asleep.

"HEY, BASTARD! ARE YOU UP?" Naruto yells into Sasuke's room the next morning.

"I am now." Sasuke growls at the blonde.

Sasuke was not a morning person. Over the years, he had trained his body to sleep and wake on command. That didn't mean that he _**LIKED**_ getting up at the crack of dawn. He loathed it actually. If given the option, he would probably sleep till Noon and stay up all night.

The blonde either hadn't realized this or had forgotten it. It had been a long time since they were on an overnight mission together. Sasuke figured that it was likely that the boisterous ninja had just forgotten it.

"Sorry. It's just Granny Tsunade figured it would be best if you went for your fitting early. You are a Jonin now. You need a new uniform. Oh and I guess Jugo can have one as well if he wants. He's clearly Jonin level and if he's going to be staying in the village, it'd be good if people started to see him as something other than a Criminal Ninja." Naruto says brightly.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I tried to tell him that you were still asleep, but he was insistent." Jugo says.

Sasuke sighs. He waves his hand to assure the gentle giant it was fine. God knows that Naruto was a whirlwind. The loudmouth couldn't be stopped once he set his mind to something. If he could, Sasuke wouldn't be here.

"It's fine, Jugo. Naruto has always been annoying." He states.

"What'd you say, bastard?!" The blonde demands and twitches at the familiar insult.

"I said you are annoying. You are. It doesn't matter how powerful you get, you will always be annoying." The last Uchiha says with a smirk.

He loved to provoke the blonde. Naruto took the bait every time. Of course Sasuke privately realized that he did the same. Still he had to have some fun.

Jugo watches with amusement. He had never seen anyone that could stir such reactions out of Sasuke, if it wasn't Itachi. They were brothers in all but blood. As entertaining as it was to watch their bickering, he didn't think it was polite to keep Tsunade waiting.

"You said that Tsunade was waiting to give us our uniforms? Perhaps we should get going. It would be bad manners to have her wait around all day." He offers.

"Yeah. You're right. Damn. Kinda surprised you were traveling with the bastard here. You're really polite." Naruto observes and heads out down the stairs before either of them could respond.

Sasuke shakes his head. Only Naruto. He gets out of his bed and stretches. Sasuke looks down at the clothes he had worn to bed the night before. He supposed they would do. He was going to change into his Jonin uniform soon anyway.

"You ready?" Sasuke asks Jugo.

The large man simply nods. Sasuke takes that as a yes and descends the stairs. Soon enough they were on their way to Tsunade.

"Hey, Granny! I brought the bastard and Jugo. Jugo's going to get a uniform too." Naruto says brightly.

Tsunade blinks. She hadn't expected Sasuke and Naruto to arrive so early. She had told Naruto to get him at the crack of dawn because she assumed they would spend at least an hour fighting. This was a miracle.

"Jugo, you understand that accepting a Jonin uniform makes you a part of this village? You will have to fight for the Leaf and accept my authority as your Kage. That means you will follow my orders without question. Do you agree to this?" She asks.

"I understand and agree. If Sasuke is staying here, I am staying here." Jugo says.

Tsunade blinks. That was an unexpected degree of loyalty. She looks at Sasuke in confusion and decides to ask later.

"His Clan's power came at a price. They are susceptible to uncontrollable rages." Sasuke explains with a shrug and winces as he does so.

"And being around Sasuke, helps you control your condition?" The busty medic asks.

"Sasuke is my cage. He keeps me from hurting people." The orange haired man replies.

Tsunade shakes her head. Well that was ironic. A man who had dedicated most of his life to revenge, was now keeping another man from killing innocent people.

"Alright then. Go into the backroom and get measured. We have your old measurements, Sasuke. But they are several years old and obviously horribly outdated." The blonde woman says.

Sasuke simply nods and heads to the back room with Jugo. A tailor was waiting for them. To put it mildly, she looked nervous. She would have been stupid not to be. She was going to be doing the fitting for two former S Class Criminals.

"Could you please take off your shirts?" She asks shyly and was relieved when both men complied.

Akira felt herself blushing. They might be two very dangerous ninjas, but the was really no denying that they were both incredibly well sculpted, even by ninja standards. (This was certainly saying something because ninjas tended to endure intense physical training that created aesthetically pleasing physiques in general.)

She walks over and begins with Sasuke Akira takes out the tape measure and begins recording his measurements. He was a large. Which made her wonder what his companion was going to be. Sasuke was by no means a small man, but Jugo dwarfed him with ease.

"A large should do nicely for you." She says and walks over to Jugo.

Quickly she begins measuring him. The young woman blinks. Jugo was massive. She didn't even know if a XXXL would fit him. The man could probably snap a tree like a twig.

"I um don't know if we have anything that will fit you. We might have to custom make it." She mumbles.

"It's alright. I have that problem a lot. When Sasuke tried to purchase our team supplies once, I ended up wearing a curtain for a shirt." He tells her.

Sasuke shakes his head. Thankfully, Jugo had enough common sense not to mention that they had bought the supplies at an Uchiha stronghold. He would really rather the Leaf not find out about that place.

He had every intention of trying to redeem himself. Itachi had given up everything to protect this village. It would be wrong not to respect his sacrifice by abandoning it once again.

"That's true. Come on, Jugo." Sasuke says and they walk back to Tsunade.

"How'd it go?" Naruto asks.

"Well I need a large and Jugo needs…a custom made vest. The tailor isn't sure even the XXXL will fit him." Sasuke states.

"Yeah. I can see that. You are a pretty big guy, Jugo. You're like Kisame's size." Naruto says with a nod.

"Did you just compare me to a man who looked like their mother was a shark?" Jugo asks in disbelief.

Sasuke manages not to laugh. He did make a quiet snort of amusement though. Jugo had a point. Kisame had been…exotic by any stretch of the imagination.

He supposed it was all relative though. The Akatsuki had Zetsu. That man looked like he was part plant. So maybe Kisame had been "normal looking," by Akatsuki standards.

"I only meant in size. I mean obviously your skin isn't blue and you don't have gills!" Naruto exclaims.

 _"_ Or shark teeth." Sasuke adds.

"Yeah or that." The blue eyed ninja says, nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

"Naruto, why don't you reacquaint Sasuke with the village and show Jugo around? I still have to process their paperwork." Tsunade says and the three ninjas nod, heading off.

Tsunade wasn't alone for long though. Kakashi soon teleports into her office. The medic sighs, couldn't anyone knock anymore?

"Good morning, Kakashi." She says.

"Morning. Pakkun tells me that Sasuke has a roommate? That is certainly a surprise. He's never been the most social." The silver haired ninja muses.

Frankly, it had shocked Tsunade as well. She never expected Sasuke would allow anyone else in the Uchiha District that wasn't related to him or Naruto. As it didn't look like he was planning on taking a wife soon, she hadn't expected that to happen for awhile.

"Yes, Jugo of the Scales. It seems that Sasuke is able to control his rages. So Jugo is now…well he's…" The Hokage trails off because she wasn't sure how to describe the relationship in a way that wasn't insulting.

"Sasuke's new shadow?" Kakashi supplies helpfully.

"I suppose you could say that. Would it be insulting to say that he reminds me of a puppy that followed someone home? I do wonder why Sasuke has that influence on him. I don't suspect it is merely because of the threat of force. Surely, Orochimaru would have threatened him." She muses.

Kakashi glances out the window. He catches the sight of Naruto, Sasuke, and Jugo leaving. There was something about the way that the other member of Taka followed Sasuke. It was a little too reverently to be entirely platonic.

"It would be a little insulting, though it seems rather accurate. I don't think that it's the threat of force that calms him." He muses.

"What do you think it is?" Tsunade asks and Kakashi gestures for the busty blonde to look out the window.

Tsunade does. She sees Sasuke, Naruto, and Jugo walking together. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Naruto was babbling happily. Jugo was nodding his head politely here and there. Occasionally, Sasuke would say something that caused Naruto to twitch and start yelling. It all seemed _normal_ to her.

"I don't understand what I'm supposed to be seeing." She says after awhile.

"It's the way he looks at Sasuke. The way he follows him. I think that Jugo has feelings for him that are stronger than just appreciation. He might actually be in love with him." Kakashi says.

The Hokage blinks. She looks out the window again. There was a certain…focus that the large orange haired man had on the last Uchiha.

It was intense. Protective mostly, though his eyes did drift south a little more often than was normal to be entirely platonic. To be crude, she was almost positive that he was admiring the Uchiha's backside.

"I think that I can see what you are talking about now. I doubt that he's told Sasuke about his feelings, if he does indeed have romantic feelings for him." She muses.

"I find that unlikely as well. Sasuke wouldn't be as calm around him, if he had. I'll admit that I have wondered which "team" Sasuke prefers. He's never expressed much interest in women at all, but that could merely be because he was so focused on killing Itachi and the war." Kakashi offers.

Tsunade considers this. It would a cruel twist of fate, if Sasuke actually did prefer men. He wanted to restore his Clan. He'd either be trapped in a loveless marriage or would have to find willing surrogates.

The Hokage knew that despite everything that he had done, Sasuke would be able to find willing surrogates. The Sharingan was just too powerful of a bloodline to let die out.

He might be potentially psychotic, but Sasuke was also very handsome. Women would do very stupid things, when it came to attractive men. She could easily imagine some poor girl agreeing to be his surrogate, in hopes that he would eventually fall in love with her.

"It's hard to say really. Sasuke has never been the most social individual. It wouldn't entirely surprise me if he did prefer men though." She admits.

"Should we discourage or encourage it?" The silver haired ninja asks.

"Neither for now. We don't have enough information to make an informed decision." The blonde replies and the CopyCat Ninja nods in agreement.

"So that's the Ramen Shop! It has really awesome food!" Naruto says excitedly.

Sasuke shakes his head and rolls his eyes. Naruto was all too eager to play the part of a tour guide. Jugo was polite enough to at least pretend to look interested. Maybe he actually was. The last Uchiha just knew he didn't really care all that much where the Ramen Shop was.

"That's good to know." Jugo offers diplomatically.

"Yeah! I doubt Sasuke has much food in his place at the moment. He's been gone for years. I don't know, maybe you have some canned stuff that might still be good?" Naruto asks.

The dark haired ninja merely shrugs. There might be some canned food that was still good. Still Naruto raised a good point. He really was going to have to go shopping at some point.

Sasuke makes a face. He hated shopping. The Snake Summoner hated being stared at like an animal in a zoo. He knew that is what would happen if he set foot in public, without Naruto at his side. Maybe he could ask Jugo to do it?

"Jugo, he's right. We are going to need some food. If I give you some money, do you think you could handle it? I think I'll search and see if there's anything edible left in the house." Sasuke asks.

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" Jugo says.

Sasuke sighs. Clearly, the orange haired man was worried he might lose control while out shopping. He shakes his head and places his hand on Jugo's shoulder comfortingly.

"The Leaf is filled with powerful ninjas. If you lose control, they will be able to restrain you." Sasuke assures him.

"Alright. I don't mind then. Is there anything you want me to get in particular?" He asks.

"Anything that isn't ramen." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Immediately, Naruto launches into a rant about the many virtues of ramen. People were starting to give the blonde funny looks. The early risers were just starting to take to the streets and a flailing war hero was the first sight that they were greeted with.

"I think I can manage that." Jugo replies with a small chuckle.

"Good. Alright, loser. Keep going. Jugo is going to need to know where everything is, not just the Ramen Shop." Sasuke says.

"You really are such a bastard." Naruto grumbles, but leads them off.

Jugo smiles as he follows them. It was nice to see Sasuke in such high spirits. The last Uchiha might try to hide it, but he could tell that Sasuke was glad to be home.

He was also happy. Jugo was happy the war was over. He was happy to be alive. But most of all, he was happy to be with Sasuke. As long as he had his cage, he wouldn't hurt any innocent people. Maybe he could really start over in the Leaf Village.


	2. Chapter 2

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I realize this is a pairing that hasn't really gotten a lot of attention. So I treasure each one. This chapter will be more from Jugo's side of things. I hope you all enjoy it.

 **Chapter Notation:** This is a very fluffy chapter, but perhaps not in the way you might expect. **No character bashing is intended.** It's just that one character's more playful personality clashes with Sasuke's less playful one. This story will get more intense/sexy later on.

Chapter Two

"How long have they been going at it?" Sasuke asks when he walks back into his home.

"About two hours, give or a take a few minutes." Jugo answers.

It was two weeks later. Sasuke and Jugo had settled in. They were now both official Jonin for the Leaf Village. People were gradually getting used to seeing Sasuke and Jugo around. Though it was obviously going to take some time before they were fully accepted by the general population.

The villagers were understandably still wary. Jugo didn't particularly care for some of the dirty looks that Sasuke got. It was always a combination of fear, hatred, awe, and another emotion that annoyed him. The last emotion was definitely lust.

"What are they fighting about this time?" The last Uchiha inquires as he watches Karin throw pots and pans at Suigetsu.

"Karin claims that Suigetsu used up all the hot water in the shower." His roommate replies.

Sasuke sighs. Yeah, that would do it. Very few things set Karin off more than an icy shower. He could certainly sympathize with her there. No one liked a cold shower.

"So she decided to destroy my kitchen because of that?" Sasuke asks dryly.

Jugo nods. He really wished that Suigetsu and Karin would learn to get along. They bickered far worse than any married couple. He wasn't entirely certain if it was unresolved sexual tension or if they really were just like oil and water. Either way, it stopped being amusing after the first ten minutes. After that, it just got annoying.

"You are way too nice to them." Sasuke muses.

"I figure they'll get tired eventually." The other man informs Sasuke and shrugs.

They were both used to this bickering. Sasuke tended to put his foot down rather quickly. Jugo knew better than to get in the middle of Suigetsu and Karin's fights, if he wasn't in a rage.

"FIREBALL JUTSU!" The last Uchiha thunders as he sends a fireball sailing right at the heads of his teammates.

Suigetsu and Karin manage to dodge. That didn't surprise Jugo. They were used to this sort of treatment. If Sasuke seriously wanted to hurt them, he would use something more lethal than a fireball. (Which was perfectly lethal on its own, but nothing compared to some of his other attacks.)

"You're both annoying. Suigetsu, stop hogging all the hot water. Karin, stop destroying my kitchen because Suigetsu is being stupid." Sasuke snaps at them.

"She's being a crazy bitch! It's not my fault!" Suigetsu protests.

"He's so inconsiderate! I'm sorry, Sasuke. I just…he makes me so mad!" Karin exclaims.

Jugo just shakes his head. This was just another day for Taka. If they ever stopped fighting, he would be worried. The former S Class Criminal would wonder if they were sick or if he was dealing with imposters.

"I don't care who started it. I'll finish it. Both of you clean up this mess. Come on, Jugo. I'm going to take you to see Kiba." Sasuke says.

"Why are you taking him to see dog boy?" Suigetsu asks.

"Jugo's good with animals. Kiba's Clan raises ninja dogs. I figure if they hit it off…it'll be a good way for him to start assimilating into the village." Sasuke reasons.

Suigetsu nods. Well that made sense. It was also almost suspiciously _nice_ of Sasuke. Sasuke didn't really do nice. Something was up. He was going to find out what it was!

"That sounds like a fine idea to me." The orange haired man says as he follows Sasuke outside.

He was relieved. If nothing else, at least he wouldn't have to hear Karin shrieking at Suigetsu like a banshee or Suigetsu taunting her. He really should buy some earplugs. Yes, that was going to be the first thing he did as soon as he got paid for his first mission.

Jugo allows Sasuke to lead the way for two reasons. The first was because he had no idea where Kiba lived. The second was he liked walking behind Sasuke. The view was quite nice.

"Hopefully, you two get along well. It would be nice if you could find a task that you enjoy doing, while you are here. You really do have a way with animals." Sasuke muses as they walk.

"I hope so as well. It would be nice to make some friends." He replies.

Jugo didn't consider himself to be like Karin. He wasn't going to steal Sasuke's towels or attempt to steal his toothbrush. His admiration for the last Uchiha was far more… _normal._ (Well at least to him anyway.)

Initially, he had followed Sasuke's orders and been soothed by his presence because of Kimimaro. The ill man had risked everything to retrieve Sasuke. It would be spitting on his deceased lover's last wishes, if he didn't make sure that Sasuke was safe.

"I imagine that you'll have an easier time of it, than Suigetsu and Karin." Sasuke offers.

That had quickly changed. Sasuke was just like his Clan's element. Terrifyingly beautiful. Most of the time, he fairly quiet and not particularly social. An introvert, like himself. When he got angry though, he was like a volcano. All unbridled passion. Generally, that included more fury than anything else. Still it was he was magnificent in his fury.

Like Jugo, Sasuke was a survivor. Sasuke had channeled his rage into a "productive goal." (Well he had thought it was productive at the time, how was he supposed to know the truth about Itachi?). He had locked himself away voluntarily in the prison because he was afraid of hurting others. Maybe that was why he was drawn to Sasuke. He was absolutely fearless.

"We're here." Sasuke says.

Jugo nods. He would have been able to figure that out, even if Sasuke didn't tell him. The sounds of dogs barking would have given it away.

He sees a young man cautiously approach him. Jugo assumed this was Kiba. He didn't appear too thrilled to be walking towards Sasuke. To his credit though, his knees weren't shaking. (Most people's knees did shake around Sasuke.)

"I didn't think you'd actually show. Hey. I'm Kiba." He introduces himself.

"I'm Jugo." The orange haired man replies politely and shakes the canine lover's hand.

"Right. Well have you ever worked with dogs before?" The Inuzuka asks curiously.

Jugo shakes his head. Most of the time, he communicated with forest animals. Usually birds, squirrels, deer, and creatures of that nature. Predators tended to be somewhat more independent minded, but once in awhile…he could persuade a wolf or another carnivore to help him out.

"Maybe we should start with the puppies then." The Leaf Ninja suggests and Jugo nods in agreement.

The two of them head off. Sasuke follows them at a respectful distance. He liked dogs well enough. Sasuke just didn't see him becoming a ninja dog trainer. Still he figured it was a good idea to stick close. If Jugo lost control, he didn't want the man to take it out on a bunch of puppies (or Kiba. Though Sasuke felt more sympathy towards the puppies, honestly.)

"Yeah. We had a couple of really big litters this year. Lots of pups." Kiba says happily.

"Their very cute." Jugo says and Sasuke tries to suppress a snort of amusing.

He didn't know why, but for some reason it was hilarious to hear Jugo talk that way. Cute. He didn't know that word was in Jugo's vocabulary.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. Kakashi had decided to follow them. Tsunade wanted to be kept informed of the current situation.

So far nothing unusual was going on. Kiba was showing Jugo the dogs. Well to be more precise, he was showing him puppies. They really were such adorable furballs. Maybe he should look into getting one. Pakkun was getting up there in years…

"Sasuke, I think that one likes you." Jugo muses as one of the puppies makes its way over to Sasuke to investigate.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He saw a black fluffy furball sniffing at his sandals. Sasuke wasn't an expert on dogs, but he recognized that breed. It might be little now, but that was going to be one massive canine in a year or two.

"He's just a puppy. He doesn't know any better. He doesn't realize what an antisocial bastard you can be." Kiba muses.

"Oh fuck you, Inuzuka." Sasuke hisses at the other man for that little remark.

"No thanks, Uchiha. I prefer women and you are way too bitchy for me." Kiba says with a smirk.

Oh that was it. Sasuke steps away from the dog and begins channeling Chidori along his body. Kiba was asking for it. The last Uchiha had had it with his smartass comments!

"Sasuke, calm down. He's just engaging in some trash talk. It doesn't mean anything." Jugo says.

On some level, Sasuke realized that Jugo was right. Unfortunately, he was already seeing red. His Sharingan had activated due to his irritation with the Inuzuka.

Jugo sighs. Sasuke had just received a pardon. He couldn't let the Uchiha throw that away because Kiba wanted to bite off more than he could chew. The large man quickly grabs Sasuke and grunts in pain.

"Jugo! Damn it! Let go of me! I don't want to shock you." Sasuke growls and thrashes in the other man's arms.

The other member of Taka held Sasuke firmly though. Eventually, Sasuke had to dispel his Chidori. He didn't want to hurt Jugo. Kiba was the one who needed his ass kicked, not the man currently holding him.

"I don't want to get shocked, but you know you can't attack him. You just got pardoned. Do you really want to throw that all away because Kiba is in denial about his sexuality?" Jugo asks.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Kiba roars at him.

Sasuke snorts. He highly doubted that Kiba was actually gay. Still it was pure genius of Jugo to push that button. He doubted there were very many things that set the Inuzuka off faster than that.

"I'm certain you realize that Sasuke was not offering to be your lover when he said that to you. Yet that was the first thing on your mind. There's no shame in it. Lots of men prefer other men." Jugo informs him.

"…" Kiba is speechless.

"I'll take the black puppy. Come on, Jugo. I think your Jonin uniform should be ready by now." Sasuke says as he scoops up the dog and heads off.

As he was heading off, he tosses a pouch of money at Kiba. He didn't know how much the dog cost, but he figured that would more than cover it. Jugo shakes his head in amusement and follows him.

"Do you even like dogs?" He asks in amusement.

He had never heard Sasuke express an opinion about canines one way or another. He knew that Sasuke's family was closely affiliated with ninja cats though. Frankly, he would have expected the last Uchiha to get a ninja cat instead of a dog.

"I like them well enough. Besides, the Uchiha District could use a guard dog. Keeps the fan girls away." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Sasuke, I really don't think an adorable puppy is going to keep anyone out of the District." Jugo points out.

"He'll get bigger. I know that breed. They grow fast." Sasuke says with a nod.

"I think you just got the pup because you knew it would annoy Kiba." Jugo observes.

"I'm not going to deny that, but I always wanted a pet. I couldn't have one though. Our family had ninja cats at the fortress, but my father was allergic to almost anything furry." Sasuke says.

Jugo shakes his head. It as adorably childish really. He hadn't expected Sasuke to have such a mischievous streak to him.

"Alright. Well maybe this will distract Suigetsu and Karin from fighting." Jugo suggests.

"Ha. We both know that isn't going to happen. You were great back there by the way. Do you really think he's gay though?" Sasuke asks.

The other member of Taka shrugs. No, he didn't think Kiba actually liked men. The Inuzuka had just been teasing Sasuke and it had backfired. That was all.

"He's straight as an arrow. Honestly, I just said that to annoy him. I knew it would calm you down." He admits.

"Good thinking. KAKASHI, COME OUT OF HIDING. I KNOW YOU'RE THERE." Sasuke suddenly yells.

"Damn. What gave me away?" The silver haired ninja asks as reveals himself.

Kakashi sighs. Damn. He'd been caught. The CopyCat Ninja had followed them after they left Kiba's place. He just didn't think that Sasuke was going to notice him. He was pretty wound up.

"You were laughing. Quietly, but I still heard it." Sasuke informs his former Sensei.

"Well it was a rather amusing scene." Kakashi admits with a shrug.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. He didn't particularly care for being spied on. More importantly though, the older ninja might tattle on them to Tsunade. That wouldn't end well.

"Are you going to tell Tsunade that I almost attacked Kiba? You saw what happened, he provoked me." Sasuke demands.

"I wouldn't call playfully teasing you, provoking you. Still it's not worth causing a scene over. Jugo stopped you from actually attacking him. I can't exactly argue that she should punish you, for something you didn't do." He states.

"Thank you." Jugo says.

Kakashi chuckles. He smiles and pats the puppy's head. Maybe Jugo would end up being good for Sasuke. He wasn't afraid to get shocked, to keep the Uchiha from doing something stupid.

"I suppose you should get this little guy home." He muses and they nod.

Fortunately for Suigetsu and Karin, when they arrived home…the kitchen was once again spotless. That was a relief. Jugo was pretty sure that Sasuke would go postal, if his family home was trashed.

"Are you two done acting like children now? I bet the dog will be better behaved." He mutters.

"Wait. Dog? What dog?" Suigetsu asks.

"This one. Jugo and I got him at Kiba's." Sasuke says with a shrug as he sets the puppy down.

"You got…a puppy? Who are you and what have you done with Sasuke?" Suigetsu asks.

"Stop being annoying." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

Karin darts over to Sasuke's side and grabs his arm. She smiles. He was back and now maybe Suigetsu would stop being an idiot!

"Karin, did you choose a room yet?" Sasuke asks as he tries to yank his arm away from her.

He was eventually going to allow all of Taka to live in the Uchiha District. It was really too big for one person or even two. Jugo would be the only person who was going to live with him in the long-term though. Suigetsu and Karin were fine, in small to moderate doses. Otherwise, their bickering would drive him nuts.

"Oh of course! I picked the room right across from yours!" She says happily.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

Jugo blinks. Uh oh. The room right across from Sasuke's had been his parents' room. This wouldn't end well.

"Pick another." He says flatly.

"But it's a really nice room! It's so big! Oh and the bed is amazing." She protests.

Sasuke twitches. There was no way he was going to allow anyone to take his parents' room. He knew that he wasn't being fair. Karin couldn't possibly know which room belonged to his parents, but it was setting him off anyway.

Jugo felt his own irritation grow. He pulls Karin out of the kitchen and into the living room. First of all, she touched Sasuke. He wasn't particularly happy about that. Sasuke wasn't his lover, but he had made it rather clear he wasn't interested in Karin. So he felt somewhat justified in his displeasure. Secondly, she wouldn't just accept Sasuke's "request" to choose another room. Third, she was obviously upsetting the last Uchiha, but persisted anyway.

"That was his parents' room. That's why he doesn't want anyone to take it." He whispers.

"Ohhhh. I had no idea. Alright. I'll pick another room." She agrees.

"What are you flipping out about anyway?" Suigetsu asks Sasuke back in the kitchen.

"Karin wants to use my parents' room. I don't want her to. I know she didn't know, but still…" Sasuke trails off.

Suigetsu blinks. Yeah, that would do it. He supposed he wouldn't fancy having someone sleep in his dead parents' room either. He watches as Jugo comes back with Karin.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't know. I'll just take another room." She says and Sasuke nods.

Later that night, Jugo wakes up to the sounds of someone screaming. He heads towards the source of the screams. He walks into Sasuke's room and sighs. He was having a nightmare, it looked like.

It didn't take a genius to realize what the last Uchiha was likely dreaming out. He kept calling out for his parents. It was hard to reconcile those desperate cries with the fact that Jugo knew the man on that bed could probably level a mountain if he wanted to.

"Sasuke, wake up." Jugo calls out softly.

That didn't do the trick. The large man sighs. He gets into the bed next to Sasuke. He gently shakes him. When that didn't get the desired response, he decides to lay next to him. Maybe it would calm him down. Being around Sasuke calmed him down, the reverse might be true.

A few minutes later, Sasuke stops thrashing and his calls for help finally subside. It was probably the most heartbreaking five minutes of Jugo's life. He knew it was five minutes because there was a rather large clock in Sasuke's room. Apparently, five minutes could feel like a lifetime.

"That's better." He mutters and not long after, he falls asleep as well.

The next morning, Sasuke burrows into the warmth of his blanket. He didn't remember his blanket being this warm, but his still sleepy mind wasn't going to overanalyze it at the moment. He was comfortable and that was all that mattered.

That's when he noticed his pillow was harder than usual. It was also moving slightly. Sasuke frowns in his sleep. Pillows were not supposed to move! He immediately opens his eyes. Sharingan blazing. He blinks when he realizes what was going on.

"Jugo?" He asks.

Jugo was sound asleep. He was curled up next to him, with his arm draped around Sasuke in a way that looked far too intimate. It looked more like they were lovers than comrades.

Sasuke was smart enough to realize what had just happened. Jugo wasn't Orochimaru or even Karin. He wouldn't try to sneak into his bed because he was trying to seduce him in his sleep. There really were only two logical reasons why he would have done this.

The first was Jugo might have feared her was going into a rage. So he sought out Sasuke's company and didn't want to rouse the last Uchiha from his slumber. The second had to do with his own personal demons. He remembered having a nightmare. The same one that he had had probably thousands of times before. Maybe Jugo had heard him cry out in his sleep and tried to comfort him?

"I can't be mad at him for either." Sasuke mutters to himself.

Jugo looked so peaceful. He really didn't have the heart to wake him. Sasuke had never really looked at Jugo this close up before.

When he wasn't in a rage, he had what Sasuke considered to be a friendly face. There was no denying that he was big. But in his normal state, he was no more threatening than the puppy. Sasuke had never really thought about it before, but Jugo was also well… _hot._

"Not going there." He mutters to himself.

Other than Naruto, Jugo was really the only other person that Sasuke trusted completely. Just because he had now noticed that he was physically attracted to the other man, didn't mean anything. He was also going to ignore the fact that Jugo was also surprisingly good at cuddling.

Yes, the smartest thing that he could do at the moment was to let sleeping dogs lie. Speaking of dogs, the puppy didn't have the same courtesy as Sasuke. He just jumped right up on the bed and promptly licked Jugo's face until the other man woke up.

"Sasuke…why are you licking me?" Jugo asks in confusion as his eyes slowly opened.

"I'm not! It's the dog!" Sasuke grumbles.

"Oh. That makes more sense." Jugo says and proceeds to start rubbing the dog behind the ears.

Sasuke sighs. This was going to be awkward. He hated to ask, but he knew he had to. There was no way he was going to let anyone else know about his nightmares.

He was just grateful that Suigetsu and Karin slept like logs. They never heard him when he cried out. He usually slept far away from Jugo for that very reason. Jugo was a light sleeper.

"Either you went into a rage or you heard me…which was it?" He asks.

"I heard you cry out in your sleep. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't wake. So I laid next to you. You eventually quieted down. I'm not going to tell anyone, Sasuke. It's normal to have those kinds of dreams. Anyone who went through what you did, would." He assures him.

"Thanks." Sasuke mutters and turns his head away to hide his embarrassment.

If it had been anyone else, Sasuke never would have believed him. Sakura would have run straight to Tsunade in concern about his mental health. Naruto probably would have told Kakashi. Kakashi would have told Tsunade or maybe even Guy. He mentally goes down the list. Sasuke sighs when he realizes that anyone else would have pitied him or mocked him. Not Jugo though.

Sasuke found himself grateful for the other man's honesty. At least, he could be sure that Jugo wouldn't tell anyone else. That was a relief.

"Come on. Let's go make some breakfast before Karin and Suigetsu ruin the kitchen, again." He mutters and heads out of the room.

"Good idea." Jugo replies and follows the last Uchiha, while carrying the puppy in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm really happy that this story is getting a bit more attention than I expected. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter starts off on a rather playful note. It includes a bit more about the domestic life of Team Taka. So you get to see what they are like in everyday situations, outside of battle. I hope you all enjoy this bit of silliness and fluff. The chapter does get more serious as it goes on.

Chapter Three

"I'm giving these ones to Suigetsu." Sasuke mutters as he gazes at the eggs in a rather annoyed fashion.

Jugo chuckles as he leans down and places a water bowl in front of the puppy, while looking for something suitable for a dog to eat. He settles on warming up some left over steak from the night before. They would have to pick up dog food later.

Honestly, Sasuke was such a perfectionist. Even his eggs had to be perfectly crafted. Jugo didn't think that there was any activity, that Sasuke didn't put his all into it. It didn't matter how minor or mundane it was.

"Sasuke, those eggs are perfectly fine. Just because they didn't come out of the shell perfectly intact doesn't mean anything." He states.

"Oh I know. They are perfectly edible. So Suigetsu won't mind." Sasuke says as he cracks some more eggs for the rest of Taka.

Sasuke was the very definition of high maintenance, if he wasn't on a mission. He had a very specific way of doing things. The last Uchiha was a bit of a neat freak.

God help you, if you messed up whatever system he had devised in his head for how things were supposed to be. Jugo found it oddly adorable that an S Class Ninja, would sulk over less than perfect eggs or a dirty floor. He was not suicidal enough to tell Sasuke that to his face, but it was still adorable.

"Whatever you say. Come here, boy." Jugo calls to the puppy.

"Suigetsu's never been a picky eater, anyway. He probably won't even notice. He'll just shovel the food into his face without looking." Sasuke defends his actions.

On missions, he was much more practical though. Sasuke would eat whatever food was on hand and without compliant. Jugo supposed he couldn't blame Sasuke for wanting only the best now. They were no longer at the Sound or on the run. Why not spoil themselves a little?

"That's true." Jugo agrees and Sasuke nods pleased at the response.

"They probably are going to spend at least an hour bickering. I have to admit that I'm curious about something." Sasuke says as he leans down and pets the puppy.

"What are you curious about?" The larger man inquires.

The last Uchiha hesitates for a minute. Normally, he wouldn't give a fuck about offending anyone. But Jugo was different. Jugo was his teammate who had held him while he had a nightmare. He was one of the few people that Sasuke might actually feel guilty about offending.

"You asked me if I was in love with Naruto and provoked Kiba by questioning his sexuality. You seem rather…comfortable with the idea of two men being together. Is that your preference when it comes to relationships?" Sasuke asks.

"Would it upset you, if I said that it was?" Jugo replies cautiously.

Sasuke shakes his head. It wouldn't. He half hoped that Jugo wasn't though. He was gay. The dark haired ninja knew that he would be a hypocrite if he held the other man's sexual orientation against him. If Jugo was straight, that would remove any possibility that he might do something stupid.

"Like I said, it's none of my business who people choose to love. I was just curious. It's not a big deal and I'm not going to tell Suigetsu and Karin." He assures him.

"Yes, that's my preference. Is it yours?" Jugo asks.

Sasuke blinks. Thankfully, he didn't have to answer that question because Karin walked into the kitchen. He mentally breathes a sigh of relief.

"Morning." She says with a smile.

"Morning, Karin. Did you sleep well?" Jugo asks and tries to hide his frustration.

He had just been about to get an answer out of Sasuke and Karin just had to show up at that moment. Jugo liked Karin well enough, when she wasn't panting after Sasuke. But he would have liked her a lot more, if she had showed up even sixty seconds later!

"Yeah. How about you guys?" Karin asks.

"Like a baby for the most part." Jugo replies and Sasuke turns his head away to hide his blush.

He couldn't believe what had happened. Sasuke had been curled up into Jugo's arms like they were lovers. Though it did explain why his nightmare had ended so abruptly. It was hard to feel frightened when you had someone holding you that protectively.

The more he pondered it, the more Sasuke realized something. That was the first time in years, that he had actually enjoyed being touched. He had been conditioned to associate touch with pain.

The only time he touched people was generally during training or during battle. It had actually been nice to have someone touch him in a way that was designed to soothe him. Someone had touched him for once, without the intention to harm or seduce him.

"How about you, Sasuke?" Karin asks innocently.

"Fine. I slept fine." Sasuke replies, just as Suigetsu came in.

"Sasuke, are you alright? Your face is all red." The white haired man observes and walks over.

Suigetsu had no respect for personal space. Sasuke had realized this the moment he had met the other man. For fucksakes, he had freed a naked Suigetsu from that tank and the sword lover hadn't been embarrassed by his nudity at all.

The violet eyed man had still dared to stand behind Sasuke and threaten him. Yeah, Suigetsu had no understanding of a very important concept known as _**PERSONAL SPACE!**_

"Suigetsu, if you don't back up, your face is about to be black and blue." Sasuke warns him and the other ninja quickly takes a step or two back.

"Sheesh. You really need to get laid, Sassy." Suigetsu says.

Jugo felt himself twitch. Suigetsu had given Sasuke a nickname. For some reason, that made him see red. His felt his blood practically boiling and before he knew what was happening, he had launched into a rage.

"DIE!" Jugo snarls at Suigetsu and forms his battle axe.

It was only thanks to the sword lover's quick reflexes that Suigetsu's head wasn't cleaved off. The violet eyed man stares at Jugo in shock. He didn't know what the had just happened.

"Jugo, what the fuck is your problem?!" He demands and quickly turns into water to protect himself from his suddenly homicidal comrade.

Sasuke was standing in the same room. Jugo was always calm around the last Uchiha. That was kinda the point of Sasuke letting the other man live with him in the first place. Jugo called Sasuke his "cage." So how had he busted out of the cage?

Sasuke's eyes widen. Uh oh. Jugo had just gone into a rage. Damn it. He activates his Sharingan and stands between the two former criminals.

"Jugo. Knock it off." He orders his teammate.

Karin watches in horror. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but each time was terrifying. It was always unnerving to watch Jugo go from being such a gentle giant to a psychotic, bloodthirsty monster.

The red head always felt so helpless during times like these. She knew that she couldn't stop Jugo in a rage. She couldn't even really slow him down. Maybe Suigetsu could hold his own, but Sasuke was the only one who could really stop him.

"Yeah, what Sasuke said!" Suigetsu thunders at his massive teammate.

It was like a light switch had been turned off. Jugo turned back to his regular self. Sasuke eyes him intently for a minute to make certain Jugo wouldn't slip back into one of his rages.

"Suigetsu, why don't you get out of here for awhile? Karin, would you mind picking up a few things?" He suggests and tosses a list at his female teammate.

"I don't mind. I'll take the idiot with me." She promises and drags the white haired man off.

Jugo felt rather embarrassed at the moment. He had just snapped. He had snapped over a fucking nickname that a straight man had given Sasuke. Damn it. If Sasuke asked him why, he didn't know what he going to say.

He knew that he couldn't lie to the other man. Even if Jugo tried to do so, Sasuke would see right through it. If he told him the truth though, he wasn't really sure how the leader of Taka would react.

"You normally don't have rages when your around me. Isn't that why you wanted to stay with me, in the first place?" Sasuke inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"You're right. I don't have rages around you, at least not often. But they are sporadic. I never know what is going to tip the scales." He mutters.

Sasuke nods. He did know that. This one though, seemed different than the others. There had been a very specific trigger. Jugo had been perfectly fine until Suigetsu called him _Sassy._

"Usually, that is the case. You were fine all morning though. Were you upset that Suigetsu gave me that stupid nickname?" Sasuke asks.

"Maybe a little. He was being very disrespectful. It set me off. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I could have really hurt him. Suigetsu didn't mean anything by it, but I just…lost control." He admits.

That was oddly touching in a way. Jugo was so outraged on his behalf, that he had completely lost it. Still Sasuke couldn't help but be a little disturbed. He got that upset because Suigetsu gave him a nickname?

"You know that Suigetsu likes to shoot his mouth off. Next time, don't get that upset over it. You don't need to attack him with an axe over something like that. I can handle it. Come on. We might as well get something productive done today. I want to start working on repairing the District." He says.

Jugo nods in agreement. He follows Sasuke outside. He was relived that the last Uchiha hadn't pressed him about the incident. If he had asked WHY Jugo was so upset over Suigetsu's nickname, it probably wouldn't have ended well.

It was one thing for Sasuke to say he didn't care who two people loved. It was quite another for him to actually prefer men. Assuming that he was actually gay or at least bisexual, that didn't necessarily mean that Sasuke would be return his feelings.

"You can work on clearing out the larger rubble. I'll start by restoring the foundations." Sasuke instructs.

"Sounds good." He replies.

Jugo was happy to be useful. His strength came in handy for a task like this. While he knew that Sasuke was perfectly capable of moving the rubble himself, it was nice to free the other man up from the "busywork." Besides, it gave him something to focus on besides the _Suigetsu Incident._

He didn't really understand why he got so mad. Jugo knew that the other man was straight. Suigetsu had even made it rather clear that he envied Sasuke for being a _chick magnet._ Suigetsu didn't want Sasuke. So his jealousy had been highly illogical.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Sasuke says and forms several clones.

The clones promptly start racing around the District and examining what was left of the foundation of the many houses that had once stood there. Jugo idly notes that there once had been a lot of Uchihas. With that many homes, there had to be at least a couple hundred. This was going to take awhile.

That didn't bother him though. He was happy to be useful to his Cage. That and seeing so many Sasuke's running around was quite the pleasant sight. His thoughts soon take a decidedly less innocent turn when he realizes that the Shadow Clone Jutsu could have some rather sensual applications, if its user was creative enough.

"Hey, bastard! Hey, Jugo!" Naruto calls out as he walks inside the District.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Well Tsunade wants you go on an escort mission with me. She also thinks that Jugo should try working with Shikamaru's family. They raise deer and some other stuff. I heard that it didn't go so well with Kiba?" He asks.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. _"I heard that it didn't go so well with Kiba,"_ was an understatement to put it mildly. It was highly unlikely the Inuzukas would ever let him or Jugo back on their Clan Grounds again.

"Kiba was running his mouth. Jugo may have implied that Kiba is in the closet." Sasuke informs Naruto.

Naruto bursts out laughing. No way. Had Jugo actually said that? Was Sasuke just making that up? He had a hard time picturing the large, polite man saying something like that.

"Are you serious?" The blue eyed ninja asks in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm serious. Do you really think that I would lie about something like that?" Sasuke asks with a shrug.

"Yeah. Good point. Anyway, it's just an escort mission. The guy's a pretty wealthy Lord. You know how they are. They want their status symbols. He's totally get off on the idea of having my awesomeness and the last Uchiha being his bodyguards. He's paying well though. So yeah." The blonde explains.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Yes, he was familiar with the type. He loathed the pampered noble class. These weren't Noble Ninja Clans like his family or the Hyugas. These were spoiled, elitist civilians who relied on ninjas to do their dirty work and regarded them as little more than useful animals.

"In other words, we are babysitting him." Sasuke observes and Naruto nods in agreement.

"Will it be a long mission?" Jugo asks.

"Oh no. Just a few days. Don't worry, Jugo. I doubt you'll go into a rage that quickly. If you do though, there are lots of powerful ninjas here. Shikamaru could always catch you with his shadows." Naruto assures him.

Jugo nods. He didn't like it, but that was all true. Besides, Sasuke had made it rather clear that he didn't love Naruto in the romantic sense. He loved him like a brother. So it didn't really matter if he spent a few days with Sasuke on a mission to watch over a bratty noble.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll be back soon. I doubt Shikamaru is going to engage in trash talking. Hopefully, you like working with the Naras more than the Inuzukas. Besides, someone has to stay behind to take care of the dog. Suigetsu and Karin will be too busy fighting each other, to remember to feed and walk him." Sasuke points out.

"That's true. We really do need to name him though." Jugo says.

"Wait. Dog? What dog are you talking about?" Naruto asks in confusion and Sasuke whistles.

Soon enough a little black puppy comes stumbling out of the house. Sasuke smiles. Well at least the Inuzukas were really good at training their dogs young.

"You got…a puppy?" Naruto asks incredulously.

"Mostly to annoy Kiba. In a year or two, he'll make a good guard dog though. Let me get packed, loser. I'll be out in a few minutes." Sasuke says as he heads inside the house.

Naruto shakes his head. He mutters something about being surprised that certain antisocial bastards, were secretly animal lovers. Jugo tries not to laugh at the sulking blonde.

"So…how's everything going?" Naruto asks awkwardly, trying to make conversation.

"Pretty well. I've only gone into a rage once since coming to this village. Sasuke was able to stop me from hurting Suigetsu though." He says with a serene smile.

The blonde ninja blinks. Yeah, Jugo really shouldn't be able to smile that peacefully when talking about how he had just gone into a psychotic, homicidal rage. That was a little creepy. You would think that the giant was talking about ice cream or something.

"Well that's good. Um how often do you usually lose control like that?" The other man asks.

"It's hard to predict really. Sometimes not for weeks at a time. Other times, I can black out a few times a day. It's been less since Sasuke found me though." He explains.

"Gre-at." Naruto replies and tries to hide the fact that he was now more nervous than he had been a few minutes before.

He was confident he could handle Jugo, if the other man lost it. He just didn't want to have to hurt him. He seemed like a nice guy, when he was in control of himself anyway. That and Sasuke probably wouldn't be too happy with Naruto, if he attacked a member of Taka.

Sasuke comes out a few minutes later. He was all suited up and ready to go. The last Uchiha was nothing, if not efficient.

"Jugo, do you know where the Nara Clan lives?" He asks.

"Yes, I know. I've memorized the layout of the Leaf Village. I can find it easily enough." Jugo assures Sasuke.

"Good. Well I'll see you when I get back. Try to keep Karin and Suigetsu from killing each other." Sasuke says dryly as he heads off with Naruto.

Jugo nods. He sighs and leaves the Uchiha District. He hadn't been lying, when he said he knew where it was. It was just disappointing that Sasuke had to leave for a mission, before he even got an answer.

He still didn't know if Sasuke was straight, bisexual, gay, or even asexual. The last one was certainly a possibility. Jugo had never seen Sasuke look at anyone with desire. It didn't matter if it was a man or a woman.

"So you're Jugo?" Shikamaru asks a few minutes later, once the orange haired man arrives.

"Yes. The Lady Hokage thought that I might be able to help your family. You work with deer?" He asks politely.

"Yeah. Amongst other things. You can come into our forest, only because you have permission. If you didn't and tried to do so, well I wouldn't want to be you. This is going to be a drag, but I'll give you the full tour before we start." The lazy ninja informs him.

Jugo nods. He follows the other ninja around as Shikamaru gives him the tour. It was as nice place. He did like deer. Maybe this would work out better than the last time.

It was peaceful. He could be useful here. People might be less afraid of him, if they realized he spent most of his day caring for forest animals. This could work.

"That's our research lab. Our Clan specializes in caring for the deer and making medications from the forest. Their antlers can be used in many forms of medication. We just take samples. We don't cut them off, unless they die though. All very humane." Shikamaru informs him.

"That's good. It would be wrong to cut off their antlers while they were still alive. They need those." Jugo says with a nod.

"Yes, they do. Well any questions?" He asks and Jugo shakes his head.

"Good. You can make sure they get fed for today. I have to go. I have a date with Temari. You don't want to keep that woman waiting." The dark haired ninja tells him.

"Or any woman, really." Jugo adds thoughtfully.

"That's true. Good luck. Most of my Clan is still in the forest, so if you lose control…they'll be able to handle you. Though I really doubt there's anything in this forest that is going to set you off." He reasons and heads off.

Dating. Jugo had never really given much thought to the topic before. He was too dangerous to be around most people. Locking himself up, had seemed like a reasonable way to continue to live and not hurt innocent people.

Now that he had Sasuke though, his rages had been reduced considerably. Despite this, he knew that dating a normal person was out of the question. They might go out for a movie and the night might end with his battle axe lodged in their skull. He shudders at the image. It was a terrifying thought because Jugo knew that scenario was all too realistic.

"I wonder if Sasuke likes dating." He muses.

He doubted it. Dating seemed like such a casual activity. He couldn't see the Uchiha walking along the streets and holding someone's hands. It was also difficult to picture him at a romantic restaurant. The more he thought about it, the more laughable the idea became.

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Kakashi was giving his report to Tsunade. The silver haired ninja couldn't help it. He was frankly amused by recent events and it probably showed in his voice. It must have. Tsunade seemed mildly annoyed with him.

"So you are telling me, that they trash talked with Kiba and got a puppy?" she asks in disbelief.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. Jugo is a good influence on him really. It could have escalated beyond just trading barbs. They calm each other both down." The CopyCat Ninja says with a shrug.

Tsunade sighs. She didn't know what to make of this strange situation. Never in a million years, did she think she would have to debate something like this. She was debating whether or not they should play matchmaker for two former S Class Criminals. This was crazy.

"And what is your opinion on the matter?" She asks.

"Honestly, I don't have proof one way or another that Sasuke is gay. Jugo definitely is. That or he's at least bisexual. If Sasuke is interested in men, we should try to encourage the match." He says as he idly flips through a page of one of Jirayia's books.

"You think that we should encourage a man who is prone to violet rages, to get involved with a man who is likely suffering from PTSD and can level entire villages?" She asks incredulously.

Kakashi nods as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It would do Sasuke some good. It would be good for him to have another strong bond with someone besides just Naruto.

That wasn't a romantic bond. It wasn't the same thing. Granted that this would make Clan Restoration messier, but he was sure that the last Uchiha would manage. After all, he could simply use surrogates. There was no rule that he had to marry the woman (or women) who carried his child(ren).

"Sasuke calms his rages. Jugo keeps Sasuke from attacking people whenever they annoy him. Really, it's in our best interest to help them along. That's assuming of course, that my former student has any interest in men." He continues and flips another page.

That was a big if. Tsunade sighs. That kid's mind was practically a fortress. Who really knew what went on in Sasuke's head these days. Before the war, it had been easy to understand him. He wanted revenge against Itachi. But now? Who knew what he really wanted? Well other than a family.

"That's true. This is still very dangerous. If they find out that we are meddling, it won't end well. Sasuke will be furious and Jugo might fly into a rage." She warns him.

"Well there is a very simple solution to that." The silver haired ninja says.

"And what is that?" The busty Hokage demands.

"We simply don't get caught." Kakashi says with an infuriatingly cheerful grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I think you should all easily be able to recognize what kind of sword Suigetsu is referring to, but I guess it's better safe than sorry. He is using sword as a metaphor for a certain piece of the male anatomy.

 **Chapter Warning:** Extreme silliness in some parts.

Chapter Four

"Naruto, remind me why I can't kill him again?" Sasuke asks his companion.

They had only been traveling with the pampered lord for two days. In those two days, Sasuke Uchiha must have plotted at least 58 ways to kill the other man. He figured about thirty of them would look like accidents. Half the time, he was too annoyed to care if it looked like a murder or natural death though. It was like the man had a death wish.

"I'm trying to remember that myself." Naruto mutters in annoyance.

It was natural that some people would fawn over Naruto and Sasuke because they had ended the war. They were both used to people staring at them with stars in their eyes. What wasn't natural were his rather vulgar inquiries about their personal lives.

"So you are telling me that you two are not lovers? But you gave up everything to chase after him and Sasuke fought along your side. There's no shame in it. There are lots of powerful ninjas who prefer the company of other men in their bed. Actually, it's something of a secret fantasy amongst the noblewomen." Lord Tao inquires.

"We are not lovers. Naruto is like another brother to me. Our love lives are still none of your business. You paid for an escort. You did not pay to interview us." Sasuke snaps at him.

Lord Tao hides behind Naruto. He had thought that the blonde would have a positive influence on Sasuke. Shouldn't the last Uchiha be calmer around his lover? Perhaps he was just nervous about his true sexual orientation being revealed?

"Don't hide behind me. You are getting on my last nerve too. I think it would be best if you would just shut up." The blonde warns him.

The lord gulps. Damn. Maybe he had pushed too far. Still the topic of Naruto's and Sasuke's love lives was quite a popular one at the castle. Naruto was the hero of the ninja world. Sasuke was the anti-hero.

"Let's make camp." Sasuke mutters as they come to a cave in the forest.

"Here?! It's a cave!" Tao protests.

"Yes, it provides shelter in case it rains and this way we aren't out in the open, if someone tries to sneak up on us." The last Uchiha reasons.

Tao looks around the cave nervously. What if there were bats inside it? Vampire bats?! Even if there weren't bats, what about bears? Bears liked caves.

"Oh stop being such a scaredy cat." Naruto tells the Noble.

A couple hours later, Tao was fast asleep. Sasuke and Naruto were watching him and sitting by the fire. The two ninjas couldn't believe that they had been reduced to babysitting a spoiled brat.

"I can't wait for this mission to be over." Naruto mutters.

"Me neither. How are we going to complete this mission without killing him?" The dark haired ninja asks.

"I have no idea, but there's something I've been wondering. You've never really looked at woman. Do you prefer guys? It doesn't matter to me, if you do. I'm just saying for a guy that is always talking about restoring his Clan, you don't seem to have much of an interest in women." Naruto inquires.

Sasuke sighs. He knew Naruto. Once the idiot asked a question, he would never give up until he got an answer. It was probably better to get it over with.

"Don't make a big deal out of it, but yes. I'm just not attracted to women. I never have been." Sasuke states bluntly.

"Oh. Well I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me, but how are going to accomplish your second goal then? I mean that won't be much fun, reviving your Clan with someone that you don't love." The blue eyed ninja inquires.

Sasuke smacks his forehead. He really shouldn't have to explain this Naruto. Still the smartest thing to do was just to get it out of the way.

"You don't have to have sex to have a child. You just have to fertilize the egg. When the time comes, I'll just use a surrogate or surrogates." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Ohhh. Do you really think that the biological mother is just going to let the kid go? I mean that's a lot to ask of someone." His friend asks.

"Depending on the surrogate, I wouldn't have an issue with her being involved in the child's life. I'm just not going to take her as my wife. That's all." Sasuke explains.

Naruto nods. This was a lot to process. He couldn't imagine taking such a clinical approach to having a child, but this was Sasuke. Whatever made him happy.

"I just can't picture you running around with a kid or rocking a baby." Naruto laughs.

"You really are such an idiot. Let's just hope for the sake of everyone, that you never manage to breed." Sasuke mutters.

"You are such a jerk!" The blonde grumbles and Sasuke smirks.

Back in the Leaf, Jugo was working on reconstruction with Suigetsu. The white haired man claimed that he just wanted an excuse to get away from Karin's bitching. Jugo shakes his head in amusement and accepts his help.

He knew that was partially true, but Suigetsu was Suigetsu. He would never admit that he just wanted to help. Deep down, the sword lover was probably grateful that he had a place to stay. There really weren't many places that would take in former Criminal Ninjas and the ones that did exist, generally weren't places you wanted to live in.

"So why did you snap at me over the Sassy thing?" The violet eyed man asks as he pounds some nails.

"My rages are unpredictable. Most of the time they don't have a cause." He protests.

"Uh huh. Jugo, I know you can't lie to save your life. The dog is probably a better liar than you. You didn't lie just now, but I know you aren't telling the full story either. I know something is up. You might as well just tell me. We are teammates, aren't we? You should be able to trust me." Suigetsu says with a shark toothed grin.

Jugo quickly grabs some rubble and walks away from Suigetsu. It wasn't that he didn't trust the other man. Suigetsu wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt him. It was just that the sword lover wasn't exactly the best at keeping secrets.

He had every intention of keeping his affections for a certain Uchiha to himself for now. Jugo planned to do so until he found out if Sasuke even liked men. There was no point in telling him, if he was only interested in women. It would just make things awkward.

"Hey! Don't run away from me! You had better tell me what is going on or I will sick Karin on you. She'll howl at you like a banshee until your ears bleed. It's your choice. You can tell me now or later, but you are going to tell me." He states firmly.

"You aren't going to let this go, are you?" Jugo asks with a sigh.

"Nope! Never. So you might as well fess up. What the fuck is going on? Why'd you get so pissed that I called Sasuke, Sassy. I've called him way worse than that before." The other man says and nods his head vigorously.

The gentle giant looks upwards as if to ask, _"Why me?"_ He then turns his attention back to Suigetsu. Damn. How was he supposed to explain this?

"You were at the Sound for a long time. I'm sure that you noticed that there were men who preferred other men to be their lovers?" He asks cautiously.

"Well yeah. Doesn't bug me. Who cares where someone likes to shove their sword or if they prefer to have a sword shoved in them?" He asks brightly.

The orange haired man winced at that analogy. That sounded incredibly painful. He shakes his head and decides to press on.

"I'm glad that you feel that way because you know at least one person who is that way." The older man says.

"Orochimaru? Well yeah. That is pretty obvious. I don't like to think about that too much though. It gets really fucking creepy, really quickly." Suigetsu observes.

"Well other than Orochimaru. Make that at least two people you know." Jugo mutters.

Thinking about Orochimaru in that respect was just disturbing. It wasn't a topic that Jugo wanted to dwell on either. He shudders and tries to suppress some very disturbing mental images.

"No way. Is Sassy, Sas-GAY? Whoa. I should have seen that coming. I mean he never even smiles at women. Clearly something had to be up." The white haired man muses.

"No. He's not gay. Well maybe. I don't know actually. I was talking about me." He replies and sighs at his friend's reaction.

"Ohhh. Wait so you're saying that you like guys." Suigetsu says and Jugo nods.

The violet eyed man blinks. Well he hadn't seen that coming. Then again, he hadn't really pondered the topic of Jugo's sexuality much before either.

"Well that's cool. What's that got to do with my nickname for Sasuke though? Wait. You…have a thing for Sassy?" Suigetsu asks and gapes at Jugo.

It was one thing for Karin to pant after him. Chicks did that a lot, but now Sasuke was attracting men? (Well other than Orochimaru. Orochimaru was clearly just way too into pretty teenage boys.) Unbelievable.

"I don't have a thing for him." Jugo says simply.

"Oh. Then I don't get it. What set you off about the nickname? Because that is clearly what pissed you off." Suigetsu demands.

"I don't have a thing for him. That implies it's just a casual attraction. My feelings run deeper than that." He half whispers.

Suigetsu falls over on his ass. Jugo was in LOVE with Sasuke. Oh boy. He had no idea how the last Uchiha was going to react to that bombshell. Well then again, Jugo might be the type of guy who admired the object of their affections from afar. Maybe it just wouldn't matter.

"Does he know that your gay and in love with him?" The other man asks.

"He knows that I'm gay. He doesn't know the second part. I don't even know if he likes men. I'm not going to confess my feelings to someone, if there is absolutely no chance that they will return them." Jugo answers.

There was no pointing telling Sasuke, if he was straight. If he was gay or even bisexual though, then maybe there would be a chance. The animal lover was smart enough to realize that was a really big if though.

"Yeah. Good point. Probably a good idea to find out if he's even into men, before you confess your undying love for him. Though this does explain so much. So that's why you calm down so quickly, when he's around." The Taka member observes thoughtfully.

"That's part of it. Initially, it was because of his association with Kimimaro." The gentle giant admits.

Suigetsu nods. Well yeah, this all made sense now. No wonder Jugo went all crazy about the Sassy thing. Jugo had a thing for Sasuke. A very big thing, it seemed.

"So let's say that Sasuke is gay or at least somewhat into men. Maybe bisexual." Suigetsu begins.

Jugo nods. He gestures for the other man to continue. God only knows what was about to come out of his mouth, but it was nice to have someone to talk to about this for once. He didn't want to bite Suigetsu's head off when he was being nice. (Well by Suigetsu standards anyway.)

"Yes?" He asks encouragingly.

"And let's say that he likes you back and things go well. Do you prefer to do the sword shoving or being sheathed? Because I gotta figure that's going to be an issue. Sasuke is such a control freak. It'd look weird though. He's a lot smaller than you. So just as a matter of mechanics, I kinda think you would have to top." The white haired ninja muses.

The older ninja gapes at Suigetsu. He couldn't believe that the sword lover had asked him that! Well he could in a way. It WAS Suigetsu, after all. Still he was shocked.

"You know that doesn't actually matter. It's just a personal preference. Besides, it's not set in stone. You don't have to top or bottom all the time." He replies.

"Oh yeah? You tell that to Sassy. You go tell him that you want to be your submissive little love slave and see how he takes it. There's no possible way that he's going to let anyone top him." Suigetsu informs him.

"You seem to have given this matter a suspiciously great deal of thought." Jugo muss.

Suigetsu flails. What was Jugo suggesting?! Was he trying to suggest that he thought that Suigetsu was gay?! No way! He liked women. Just women. Thank you very much.

"I don't care if you like men. I don't care if Sasuke likes men. But I'm into women. I really don't see anything sexy about another man, but it doesn't bother me that you are into it." He states with a shrug.

"I'm happy to hear that. Please don't tell him about this conversation. I don't know how he would react and I don't want to risk losing his friendship." Jugo frees.

"My lips are sealed. Good luck. You are going to need it." Suigetsu says with a smirk.

Meanwhile in Tsunade's office, the busty blonde and CopyCat Ninja were debating strategy. Surely, there had to be a way to tell. If they tried to match Sasuke with a man and he was straight, he'd make their lives a living Hell.

"What about a mental health evaluation?" Kakashi suggests.

"Kakashi, I think we both know that Sasuke isn't the most mentally stable. Besides, he's far more likely to make the therapist need therapy, than to benefit from it." The Hokage replies.

The silver haired ninja shakes his head in amusement. That was certainly true. However, that was not what he had in mind. No, he had something a little less conventional planned.

"True, but you could be the therapist. Tell him that you want to have all the ninjas in the Leaf examined. You are having the hospital check their physical and mental health. Since he is a special case, you can say that you want to examine him personally." The Jonin continues.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow. Yes, she COULD do that. She didn't see how that was going to help them figure out Sasuke's sexual orientation though.

"Throw in some visual stimuli. Have some equipment hooked up to him to measure his physiological responses. Sasuke may have a good poker face, but even he can't hide his body's natural reaction. Of course you will need to add some mundane images. If you show him only erotic ones, he'll be suspicious. But it could work." He finishes.

"That is a clever idea. Wouldn't it be easier to just ask him though?" She asks.

Kakashi shakes his head. Sasuke's mind was a vault. He had never been one to share his feelings, unless of it was hatred and rage. The last Uchiha wouldn't tell them anything.

"No. If you are going to suggest that he might tell me because I'm his former teacher, don't. Unfortunately, I've never had as much of an impact on Sasuke, as I would have liked. He did leave to seek out Orochimaru's knowledge. He wouldn't have done that, if he thought he could learn what he needed from me." The silver haired ninja states.

Tsunade sighs. She supposed that she had always known. She had always known deep down that Kakashi blamed himself for Sasuke going to the Sound. Still it wasn't his fault and he needed to accept that fact. If Tsunade had to beat some sense into him, she would.

"Kakashi, I don't want to ever hear you talk that way about yourself again. Sasuke was a vulnerable child. Orochimaru took advantage of that. It was not your fault. As for your idea, we can try it. I don't really have anything better in mind." Tsunade admits.

"We will need to do mental and physical evaluations for all of Taka, Team Seven, and the other Rookies. We have to make this look convincing." He reasons.

"Good idea. Well I guess we better get started." She muses and starts writing up the orders.

A few days later, Sasuke and Naruto return to the Leaf. The blonde heads towards his home and Sasuke flits off to the Uchiha District. He smirks and thinks it was more like the Uchiha-Taka District at this point as he enters his family's old home.

He doesn't bother to knock. He just walks right in. Nobody besides Taka and Naruto would dare to enter his Clan's District. So there wasn't a need for a lock. Besides, a look wouldn't keep a ninja out and civilians weren't a threat. It'd be pointless to lock the doors.

"I'm home." Sasuke says and umpfs as he gets tackled by a black blur.

"Arf! Arf!" The puppy calls out happily and licks his face.

Sasuke shakes his head. He smiles and pets the dog, before trying to get up. Thankfully, Jugo was soon on the scene and lends Sasuke a hand.

"Thanks. He's a very…friendly, little guy." The last Uchiha muses and Jugo nods in agreement.

"I think he missed you. How was the mission?" He asks.

Sasuke sighs. The mission was annoying at best. Honestly, he really hoped that he wouldn't receive anymore babysitting missions. They were just an insult to his skills really.

"We babysat a spoiled noble. I'm really glad to be home. Remind me to duct tape the next one's mouth shut. It would have saved us so much trouble." Sasuke states.

"I'll remind you. You look really tense. Maybe a hot bath would help? I can make sure that Karin doesn't try to sneak in." He offers.

Sasuke smiles. He almost felt like kissing Jugo for that. Yes, a hot bath sounded great. Well that was of course assuming Suigetsu didn't use up all the hot water again.

"Thanks. I'll return the favor someday." He says as he heads up the stairs towards the bathroom.

"But Karin doesn't try to peek in on me?" He asks in confusion.

"I meant that I'll help you with something, not necessarily that I'd protect you from a voyeur." Sasuke clarifies.

Karin heard the commotion. She heads out to the living room. The red head smiles when she sees that Sasuke was back.

"What's this about voyeurs?" The young woman inquires and Sasuke just shakes his head.

"Nevermind, Karin. Just forget it. It doesn't matter. Let Suigetsu know that I'm home." He mutters and shuts the door behind him.

Sasuke quickly adjusts the water. He kicks off his clothes and gets in the tub. He shrugs and adds some bubble bath.

It wasn't something that he would normally indulge in. He supposed it was one of his few guilty pleasures. Suigetsu would probably laugh his ass off at him, if he knew. So would Naruto for that matter, but it had been a really long week. Sasuke felt entitled to some old fashioned relaxation.

"Hopefully, he doesn't ask again." He mutters.

It was still hard for him to believe that Jugo had asked him if he liked men. Sasuke was having trouble wrapping his mind around that. More importantly, he needed to come up with a response.

Jugo preferred kunais over pouches. Would the other man think Sasuke was hitting on him, if he told Jugo his preference? Sasuke bit his lower lip. Damn it. Why did everything have toe be so complicated?

"I'm probably worried over nothing. He's likely forgotten all about it." He murmurs to himself.

Sasuke nods to himself. He tries to convince himself that was the case as he relaxes into the warm bubble bath. It was hard to be stressed out, when you were surrounded by bubbles and hot water.

A few minutes later, Suigetsu watches as Jugo stands outside the bathroom door. He raises an eyebrow. The white haired man, just had to ask.

"Trying to protecting his virtue, huh? I'm not really sure if Sasuke has any, but that's sweet in a twisted way." He says with a cheeky grin.

"Suigetsu." Jugo says warningly and the white haired man puts up his hands in an _I Surrender Gesture._

"I know. I know. Besides, you are probably right to guard the door. Karin really needs to learn how to respect personal space." He continues.

Jugo raises an eyebrow. He thought that was the pot calling the kettle black. If anyone needed to learn how to respect personal space, it was most certainly Suigetsu.

"Both of you do. I know you were helping with repairs while I was with the Nara Clan, but what are you going to do after the District is finished?" He asks.

He had to pass the time somehow. Jugo really needed to get his mind off of the fact that Sasuke was behind that door. A very naked Sasuke. Talking to Suigetsu would serve as a badly needed distraction.

"Haven't really thought about it. I guess I'll become a Leaf Villager. I don't really like taking orders though, but I can't stay on the run forever." He says with a shrug.

"Combat ninja, I assume?" He asks.

"Well yeah. I ain't no paper pusher. You should know that by now. I don't know what Karin is planning to do though. She could be a really good medic, but I think she's tired of being a human chew toy." Suigetsu continues.

Jugo nods in agreement. He couldn't blame Karin there. While it was certainly a useful talent, it was one that had clearly been abused. The poor girl had been bitten probably thousands of times. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"That's true. I can't blame her. Maybe we should talk to her and see what she wants to do?" Jugo suggests.

"You try talking to her. I can't say a word to that crazy bitch, without her flipping out about something." His friend informs him.

Karin had been coming upstairs. She overheard some of their conversation. Well to be honestly, she only heard Suigetsu say the words, _"crazy bitch."_ That was more than enough to set her off.

"You want crazy?! I'll show you crazy!" She screams at him and charges at the sword lover.

Suigetsu's eyes widen. He quickly takes off. Jugo watches helplessly as the red head chases Suigetsu all around the house. He hears Sasuke sigh and a few minutes later, the last Uchiha walks out of the bathroom.

"Their fighting again?" He asks in an exasperated fashion.

"Again." Jugo agrees and tries not to admire the sight of Sasuke clad only in a bathrobe too much.

That was a difficult task though. Sasuke was soaking wet. The robe left very little to the imagination. Thankfully, Karin and Suigetsu were good for something. Sasuke never noticed the fact his teammate was admiring the magnificent sight of him clad only in a bathrobe.


	5. Chapter 5

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation** : I have always thought that the Leaf was at best neglectful towards Sasuke. Sasuke never seems to have received any counseling after his family was murdered and they left a small child all alone to deal with that trauma. Frankly, I'm surprised that Sasuke didn't leave or go postal sooner. (Oh and the same applies to Naruto because they treated kid Naruto like trash because of the Nine Tails.)

Chapter Five

Sasuke sighs and decides to let Karin and Suigetsu wear themselves out. They might be powerful ninjas, but sometimes they acted like overgrown toddlers. Eventually, their temper tantrum would die down.

"I'm going to go check the mail." Jugo says and Sasuke nods.

The last thing he needed was for Sasuke to see him staring just a little too long. It was better to put some distance between them. Checking the mail provided a convenient excuse to do just that.

"Hmm that's odd." The orange haired ninja muses a few minutes later.

 _ **Dear Leaf Ninjas,**_

 _ **On the Hokage's orders, all of the Leaf's active duty ninjas will be undergoing mandatory physical and health evaluations. You are required to schedule your own examinations in the next two weeks or will be docked a week's pay.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Shizune the Hokage's Assistant.**_

"What's odd?" Suigetsu asks a few minutes later, after Karin had finally calmed down.

"Oh it seems Tsunade wants everyone to get a physical and mental health evaluation. I don't know if you and Karin count since you aren't officially listed as Leaf Ninjas, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt. You are planning to become one and if Karin decides to go that direction, it'd be better to get it out of the way." He muses.

Suigetsu blinks. That was weird. Yeah, ninjas that served villages were generally required to have a yearly exam. Still it was odd to have everyone do it at roughly the same time. He shrugs and decides it didn't matter.

"Eh sure. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a cute medic to do my physical and it'll be fun to mess with the shrink's head." He states with a smirk.

"Suigetsu, what you are babbling about?" Sasuke asks as he descends the stairs.

Sasuke must have changed rather quickly. Now he was dressed in his normal clothes again and not the bathrobe. Jugo was thankful for small mercies.

"We got a letter. Looks like the Head Bitch wants everyone to get a checkup. Physical AND mental. Yeah, that's not good news for you." The white haired man says with a smirk.

The last Uchiha raises an eyebrow. Suigetsu wanted his daily beating it seemed. Honestly, he sometimes wondered if he and Naruto were both secretly masochists. Did they like getting beaten up or something?

"Itachi, attack." Sasuke mutters and suddenly the black furball lunges at Suigetsu, tackling him.

"Itachi?! Where?! Your brother is dead. He wasn't brought back again, was he?" Suigetsu looks around a little panicked at the possibility.

"I think he named the dog after his brother." Jugo muses.

Sasuke nods in agreement at this assessment. He was going to have to call the puppy something. He couldn't just call it boy forever. Besides, the dog's fur reminded him of Itachi's hair. It was the same color.

"Oh that's not creepy at all. Naming the dog after your dead brother. Yeah. That's totally normal. You are seriously going to ace that mental health evaluation." The violet eyed man says as he scratches _Itachi's_ ears.

Jugo gives Suigetsu a dirty look. The sword lover quickly puts up his hands as if to say that he gave up.

Now that Suigetsu knew that Jugo was apparently carrying a big torch for Sasuke, everything made a lot more sense. It completely explained why the last Uchiha could calm his rages so easily. It also explained the real reason why Jugo had gotten upset at the nickname.

Suigetsu knew what his friend was like during his rages and didn't see the need to provoke one over a joke. He decided he'd have to be very careful with how he taunted Sasuke around the mostly gentle giant. The animal lover was not so gentle, when provoked.

"I imagine that you'll traumatize the counselor as well. I'm not worried about the evaluation. They need the Sharingan too much to care about my mental health. They never did before." He says with a shrug.

Jugo had to suppress a rage. He knew exactly what Sasuke meant by that. After his entire family had been slaughtered by his brother, the village had only treated him for his physical shock. Once the seven year old was coherent, they had just let him move right back into the Uchiha District without any counseling.

That's right. They let a small child move right back into the place where his Clan had been butchered. They sent him straight back into the home where he had seen his parents laying in a pool of their own blood. The Leaf had sent him back to that place, ALONE. Never once did they bother to treat him for his trauma. That was fucking infuriating.

"They should have. I know it's not Lady Tsunade's fault, but the Third really should have known better." Jugo mutters and Sasuke blinks as he notices more than a little venom laced into that statement.

"It doesn't matter now. Let's just get this over with." Sasuke says with a shrug.

The last Uchiha figured if he acted calm, it would soothe Jugo. It was actually touching in a way. The other man was more outraged about his lack of care than he was.

"Get what over with?" Karin asks as she comes down the stairs.

"Tsunade wants us all to have mental and physical evaluations. Apparently, they are making all active duty ninjas do it. You and Suigetsu aren't active duty, but if you want to become Leaf Ninjas…I'd probably do it and get it over with." Sasuke informs her.

"Oh alright. That makes sense." Karin says.

A few days later, Sasuke sighs as he goes to speak with Tsunade. He had just finished his physical. " _Shockingly"_ he was in perfect health. Even his new arm was adjusting rather nicely. Now for the fun part. The mindfucks.

"Now Sasuke, I realize you probably haven't been looking forward to this. So I want to make it as easy as possible for you." Tsunade says.

"Uh huh?" Sasuke asks skeptically.

"We are going to hook up this machine that will measure your physiological responses and we'll ask you questions. Quite simply, we will show you a series of pictures and see how you react." She informs him.

Sasuke didn't think seeing how he reacted to a series of pictures was going to tell them a damn thing. He decides not to argue as he just wanted to get this stupid evaluation over with and it sounded simple enough. He just gives his nod of consent and allows himself to be hooked up to the machine.

"Is there anything else I should know?" He asks.

"Some of these pictures will be mundane and others will be rather explicit in nature. Both sexual and violent. Ninjas are exposed to both sexuality and violence in spades. So it is a good idea to see how your react to those situations." She explains.

Sasuke shrugs. It took a lot to shock him these days. He didn't care if they showed him pictures of that nature. He had seen everything that one could imagine while he was at the Sound. He doubted that anything Tsunade had in her "arsenal" was going to have much of an impact on him.

"That's fine." Sasuke mutters.

Tsunade nods and flashes a few pictures. At first it was standard things. Furniture, food, ninja tools, nature, and so forth. Sasuke's reaction was stronger towards ninja tools, but clearly more in a mildly interested way. So far his results weren't anything out of the ordinary.

"Reminds me of the Land of Tea." He notes idly as he looks at a nature scene.

"Good. What about this one?" Tsunade says as she flashes towards a picture of a man and a woman kissing.

"They have no idea what they are doing." He says with a shrug and the machine registers mild revulsion.

"What do you mean by that?" The busty blonde asks, intrigued by both the verbal and physical response.

He really didn't like being psychoanalyzed. Sasuke decides to cooperate though. Maybe he'd get out of there faster if he was a "good boy."

"It's not attractive when a kiss becomes a slobber fest. The man is being far too timid and the woman has her tongue shoved halfway down his throat. They are either horrible kissers or not compatible. Why does it matter?" He asks.

"That was rather specific for someone who has only been kissed twice to my knowledge." Tsunade muses.

"Those were accidents!" Sasuke protests.

"Of course they were. Well accidental or not, the fact remains that was extremely specific for someone who hasn't exactly sought out a romantic relationship before." The blonde continues.

Sasuke wanted to tell her to fuck off. He reigned in the impulse though. He wanted to get this over with, not be put on probation. The younger ninja mentally counts to ten and then answers.

"Just because I haven't been in a romantic relationship before, doesn't mean that I'm completely oblivious. Besides, I've seen more than enough at the Sound to realize when two people are or aren't sexually compatible. Just go to the next slide." He snaps at her.

Tsunade wisely shows the next picture. This one was of two men. She had done her best to find a picture of two people who resembled Sasuke and Jugo just enough to psychologically prime him to think about the other man, but not enough to be obvious.

There was one black haired man with fair skin and blue eyes in the photo. The other was a very large man with red hair and green eyes. His hair was styled similarly to Jugo's. It was another kissing photo.

Sasuke shivers slightly. He was pretty sure he managed to hide it. That one was much better.

"What do you think about that one? Ignoring the sexuality of course." Tsunade asks.

"Their more compatible." He says simply and leaves it at that.

His physical response on the machine was anything but simple though. Sasuke had apparently LIKED that photo a lot. Tsunade wisely doesn't comment though and puts up a rather violent picture of the aftermath of a battle.

"Is that seriously supposed to scare me? I lived through the War with Madara. That's nothing." He scoffs.

"It's not intended to scare you, just to get your reaction." She says and continues showing him pictures for another half hour.

Sasuke sits through it. He was being fairly patient by his standards. The busty blonde was almost certain that he had decided to cooperate to get out of there as quickly as possible. She couldn't blame him. If anyone had a reason to be wary about letting someone inside their head, it was Sasuke Uchiha.

"Well that's everything. I'll just have to look over these results and evaluate if you are stable enough for missions. I'm certain that you are. It's just standard protocol." She says.

"If it's standard protocol, how come I never had to do this before?" Sasuke asks in an irritated voice.

"After the war, we came up with a new evaluation system." The medic tells him.

Sasuke seems to accept that because he walks out of the door without further compliant. As soon as he was gone, Tsunade summons Kakashi to her office to go over the results. This should tell them one way or another, if he was interested in men or not.

"How'd it go?" Kakashi asks a few minutes later, when he arrives.

"Fairly well. He was more cooperative than expected. I believe that we have a good sample to work with here. I showed enough images to make it a representative sample." The blonde says, seeming pleased with herself.

Kakashi nods. He glances at the machine readings. Well something was certainly getting a bigger spike than the other subjects.

"He definitely reacted far more strongly towards pictures of two men together than a man and a woman. If anything, he was slightly repulsed at the straight pictures. Though he claims that was mostly because of their incompatibility and poor kissing technique. Not his precise words, but that was the general point." She explains.

"He's definitely gay. Whether or not he has admitted that to himself, is another matter though." The CopyCat Ninja adds.

Tsunade nods. Well that was certainly true. Still it was a start. At least now they knew that their matchmaking attempts might actually go somewhere.

A few days later and Sauske sighs. It had happened again. This was the third time this week that he had woken up in Jugo's arm's.

Having nightmares that often wasn't unusual for him. That was why he always tried to sleep alone. He didn't want anyone to realize that.

Jugo though apparently could hear him when he cried out in his sleep. It seemed that his shield had decided he was also going to be his fucking dream catcher. He was going to shield him from the nightmares. Because this just kept happening!

"Jugo, are you awake?" Sasuke calls out softly.

He frowns when he received no response. Jugo was a surprisingly heavy sleeper. The last Uchiha tries to wiggle out of his teammate's hold, but it was really no use. He wasn't going to disentangle himself, without waking Jugo.

Sasuke just didn't have the heart to do that. The other man looked so peaceful. It almost felt like it'd be some kind of crime to wake him from his peaceful slumber.

"I guess I'll just wait for him to wake up." He murmurs to himself.

The larger man clearly knew what he was doing. This wasn't the first time that he had come to Sasuke's aid during the middle of the night. Jugo probably thought that Sasuke was a basket case at this point. Three times in one week. Pathetic.

The worst part about it was when he DIDN'T come. Then Sasuke would wake up to a suddenly far colder bed than he was rapidly becoming accustomed to. The raven haired ninja was becoming dependent on the other former criminal. That was never a good sign.

"Sasuke, go back to sleep. It's early." Jugo mutters as his eyes slowly open.

"It's about 6 in the morning." Sasuke replies.

"Yes and that's about six hours earlier than you prefer to get up when given a choice." His companion responds.

Sasuke blinks. Now Jugo knew his sleeping habits? This was getting far too intimate. Jugo was gay, but that didn't meant that he wanted to be anything more than friends. The leader of Taka didn't want to fuck up one of the few friendships he had over a _maybe._

"Well that's true. You don't have to babysit me though." Sasuke informs him.

"I don't mind staying with you and I don't think of it that way. You aren't the first ninja to have night terrors. Kimimaro used to help me with my own when I was younger. It's nothing to be embarrassed about." Jugo assures him.

The younger ninja considers this. Jugo used to have nightmares? Well of course he did. The man went into blind rages and probably felt horrible guilt about all the people that he had unwittingly killed. Biology had decided to turn a gentle person into a vicious killer in exchange for giving him power. It was only natural that Jugo would have nightmares.

"You and Kimimaro were really close then." Sasuke says.

"He was my best friend. I treasured our time together. I miss him greatly, but at least he's not suffering anymore." The other man replies.

Sasuke nods sympathetically. He knew what it was like to lose someone. His family. Arguably, Itachi had been his best friend before everything had happened. He could sympathize.

"That's good. That he's not suffering anymore, I mean." Sasuke says awkwardly.

"I know what you are wondering. Yes, he was also my lover. Unlike Suigetsu, you are too polite to ask such a question bluntly. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but it's alright." He says.

Sasuke HAD been wondering that. Well that settled that. If Kimimaro was the other man's type, Sasuke certainly wasn't. Kimmy, as Sasuke had mentally dubbed him, was a serene and devoted follower. He had power, but he was completely devoted to Orochimaru.

He understood why of course. Orochimaru had found the white haired man when he was just a small boy. He had been even younger than when the snake had lured Sasuke into his lair. Kimimaro never really had a chance against someone like Orochimaru. Someone who had perfected brainwashing to an art form.

"Oh. Well like I said, it doesn't matter to me who people love. I'm glad that you found happiness, even if it was brief." Sasuke offers.

"Thank you, but you never did answer my question." Jugo informs him.

Sasuke mentally panics. He knew exactly what question the gentle giant meant. Maybe he could play stupid. Would Jugo by it and drop the matter? It was really his only hope.

It would be incredibly awkward, if he told Jugo that he was gay. This was especially true at the moment.

For all Sasuke knew he might be laying in "Kimimaro's spot." The other man probably wouldn't sneak into his room, if he knew they were both attracted to men. Jugo was just being a good friend. He wasn't trying to seduce him.

"What question was that?" Sasuke asks "innocently."

Jugo gives Sasuke a look. The last Uchiha was able to decode it perfectly. The expression on the Taka member's face was clear as day. _"You aren't that stupid. We both know you aren't. Are you really going to try to pretend to be that dense?"_

"If you preferred men or women romantically. I'm not going to judge you either way." He says.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

He didn't know how to answer that. It would be better if he wasn't in Jugo's arms when the other man asked that question. This situation couldn't be anymore awkward.

"You prefer men then." Jugo says after awhile.

"What?! What makes you say that? I didn't say that." Sasuke protests.

"If you preferred women, you wouldn't hesitate to answer the question." Jugo replies logically.

Well Sasuke couldn't really argue with that. He still didn't know what to say. The raven haired man couldn't exactly say that he was gay, while he was snuggled up to him. Damn it.

"This conversation is awkward." Sasuke says as he wiggles out of Jugo's arms.

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Jugo says with a frown.

"It's fine. It's just not something that I talk about much. Girls were always annoying to me. When they grew up to be women, it didn't get much better." He says with a shrug.

Sasuke was gay. In theory that meant that there was a chance that he might return his feelings. Still Sasuke clearly avoided intimacy like the plague. He was embarrassed to even be comforted after a nightmare.

"I can understand that. I think I prefer men because they seem less…physically fragile." The orange haired man aadmits.

Sasuke's lips twitch upwards in a smirk. Jugo wasn't very familiar with Tsunade, Mei, or Sakura in that case. Fragile was definitely not a word he would apply to any of those women.

"That was possibly sexist." The last Uchiha chides him gently.

"You were probably thinking it. I'm not saying there aren't strong women. It's just their bodies are softer, usually." Jugo rushes to defend himself.

"It's fine, Jugo. I know exactly what you meant. Just don't tell Suigetsu about this. The idiot would never let me live it down. Don't tell Karin either. I don't want to have to deal with the kicked puppy looks." Sasuke warns him.

Jugo chuckles. He wouldn't tell Suigetsu since Sasuke asked him not to. It was hard to resist telling Karin though. Maybe she'd back off once she realized that she had no chance with Sasuke due to her gender.

"I won't tell them." He promises.

"Good. I'm going to go start on some more repairs." Sasuke says and heads out of the room.

He couldn't believe he had just done that. Sasuke couldn't believe that he had just told Jugo he was gay. Damn it. Now things were going to be strained between them.

Jugo most certainly was not going to hop into his bed anymore to chase away the nightmares. They were both knew that the other was gay now. It was different.

The orange haired man had thought that Sasuke was straight. I was one thing to do it, when he thought Sasuke liked women. It was quite another when it was obvious they both batted for the same team.

"That didn't go as planned." He mutters as he starts working on reconstructing some of the buildings.

It gave him something to focus on . He needed to think about something else. Anything else. Manuel labor was as good as any other option.

A few minutes later, Suigetsu finds Jugo. He looks at him in confusion. The gentle giant couldn't help but ask what was wrong.

"Is there a reason why Sasuke is going all construction worker this early in the morning?" The white haired man asks.

"I can't tell you that. I promised not to. Besides, the buildings really do need to be repaired anyway." Jugo says with a shrug.

Suigetsu raises an eyebrow. What could Sasuke possibly have told Jugo that was so scandalous that he didn't want his other teammate to know? Oh this had had to be good.

"Did you finally confess your undying love for him and desire tap his prissy ass?" Suigetsu asks.

"His ass is not prissy. It is a VERY nice ass, but no. I didn't tell him how I felt." The other man admits.

"It was more a description of his personality. He is very prissy. I don't spend all day staring at Sasuke's ass. That's Karin's job. Well I guess it's your job too. Hmm so did you finally get the guts to ask him if he was gay?" The violet eyed man continues.

Jugo goes silent. Suigetsu blinks. That silence spoke volumes. Jugo had asked Sasuke if he was gay.

"Judging by the fact that he is now passive aggressively working on construction, I guess Sassy is out. He's Sas-GAY." He says smugly.

That did it. That triggered a rage. Jugo was not going to let Suigetsu tell Sasuke that he knew about his sexuality. Then Sasuke would think he betrayed his confidence. He slams the other man into the wall.

"SHIT! JUGO, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Suigetsu thunders at him and turns into water to evade the monstrous punches that were now being thrown at him.

Damn it. Maybe he had gone too far with calling Sasuke that. Obviously, Jugo was in love with him and insulting Sasuke made him snap. Damn it. He just hoped that Sasuke heard the fighting and got his ass in here pronto.

Jugo in a rage was not to be messed with. The white haired man didn't want to hurt his friend. He wasn't in control of himself, but he also didn't want to die either.

"SASUKE, HELP! GET IN HERE, RIGHT NOW! JUGO LOST IT AGAIN!" Suigetsu screams and dodges yet another punch.


	6. Chapter 6

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Itachi's Perspective:** He is a ninja dog. As we can see with Pakkun, Kakashi's ninja dog, some ninja dogs can talk and seem to possess human intelligence. So I added Itachi II's perspective. Let me know what you think. If readers don't care for it, I'll just nix that idea.

 **Naruto's Question:** Oh and Naruto is supportive about Sasuke's sexuality, he's just pretty oblivious.

Chapter Six

Sasuke was working on reconstructing his district when he heard Suigetsu desperately cry out for help. Damn it. That could only mean one thing. Jugo had just gone into another rage.

The last Uchiha rushes inside his house. Suigetsu could be a pain in the ass sometime, but he was also a useful comrade. He didn't want the sword lover to actually die. (Which appeared to be a real possibility at the moment.)

"JUGO! Stop it!" Sasuke snaps at the large orange haired man.

Jugo freezes in his tracks. Suigetsu sighs in relief. Damn that was a close one. Alright, maybe it wasn't a smart idea to tease Jugo about his crush on Sasuke or make jokes about Sasuke's sexuality. Lesson learned.

"I'm sorry." He says with a sigh and looks at his feet like a guilty child.

"Jugo, Suigetsu is our comrade. You can't just attack him. It doesn't matter what stupid stuff he says." Sasuke begins.

The gentle giant nods his head. Damn it. He shouldn't have lost his temper like that. He just didn't want the last Uchiha to think that he had been spilling all his secrets to the other Taka member.

"Exactly! You need to chill, Jugo!" Suigetsu says and nods his head vigorously at this assessment.

"I wasn't finished. I don't know what the fuck you said to him, but knock it off. Jugo's been doing much better with his rages lately. You seem to be deliberately provoking him. I'm going to focus on restoring one of the other houses. I might be able to get it done tonight. You are moving into it. I'm not going to have someone wind up dead because you can't stop taunting him." Sasuke growls.

Suigetsu seems to shrink two sizes. Great. Now he was the target of Sasuke's wrath. This wasn't his fault. He had just been joking around. How as he supposed to know that Jugo didn't have a sense of humor when it came to the Uchiha?

"Arf? Arf?" Itachi barks in confusion and looks up at Sasuke with his big eyes.

"And you scared the dog." Sasuke mutters in disgust and picks up the puppy.

The sword lover sighs. Now he felt like a heel. He didn't mean to set Jugo off like that or scare the puppy. He wasn't a completely heartless bastard.

"I'm sorry…Itachi." Suigetsu says and rubs the puppy's ears.

Itachi's tail wags. He didn't know why everyone had been so loud. Looked like things had settled down now though. Maybe they all just needed a belly rub or he could share his chew toys with them.

"Suigetsu, get your ass outside and help me with finishing up your home. You're being annoying. Maybe you'll be less annoying, if you have your own place." Sasuke says as he sets Itachi down and drags Suigetsu off.

Jugo sighs in relief. Well at least Suigetsu hadn't told Sasuke that the sword lover knew he was gay. The last Uchiha didn't think that he had violated his trust.

"Geez. Sasuke, calm down. Owe! That's my ear!" Suigetsu whines.

"The dog is better behaved than you. What did you do to set him off?" The raven haired ninja demands as he continues working Suigetsu's new home.

Suigetsu gulps. Damn it. He didn't want to get Jugo into trouble, but he knew that the leader of Taka would see through a lie. If Sasuke realized he was lying, it wouldn't end well for him.

"If I tell you, I want you to promise that you won't lose it." The sword lover begins cautiously.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. That was an interesting way to open the conversation. He knew that Suigetsu had done something to deserve a beating, but he just nods his head.

"I promise that I won't kill you. I might Chidori you, if you did something stupid enough though." He states.

"Alright. Alright. I called you Sas-GAY." He admits.

Sasuke twitches. He shouldn't have promised not to kill Suigetsu. Damn it. Now he couldn't go back on his word. Oh yeah. That definitely deserved a Chidori. Preferably a Chidori to the nuts.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke yells and charges at his friend.

Suigetsu takes off running. It was not fun to get hit with a Chidori. That was not a fun way to start the day!

A few days later, Naruto blinks. He had gone to Tsunade's office to get his latest mission. He had arrived about an hour early. So he wasn't surprised that Tsunade was talking to someone else.

What did surprise him is what he overheard. The door was shut, but Naruto had good hearing. Kakashi and Tsunade were talking about Sasuke. More specifically, they were talking about Sasuke and Jugo.

"Well he's definitely gay. The test results are conclusive. Whether he is in denial or not, we still don't know. So what would be the best way to go about this?" Kakashi asks.

"A truth serum maybe?" Tsunade wonders.

Naruto blinks. They wanted to give Sasuke truth serum to see if he knew he was gay? Why? That didn't make any sense? That and did they have a death wish? If Sasuke found out what they were doing, he'd probably kill them.

The blonde did what anyone else would have done. He continued listening in. His eyes kept getting wider and wider as he heard more of their conversation.

"Sasuke's too smart to find out about that. It's obvious that Jugo has feelings for Sasuke and is conscious of them. We don't know about Sasuke though. It'd be good for Sasuke to have a strong tie to someone, other than just Naruto and to a lesser extent platonic friendships with the rest of Taka." Kakashi observes.

No way. Jugo had a thing for Sasuke? Well that made a lot of sense. Maybe the large man hadn't only moved in with Sasuke to control his rages. There might be real feelings there.

"We could assign them a mission together. Maybe nature would just take it's course." Tsunade suggests.

"What mission though? We don't want it to be too obvious what w are doing, but it has to be a good setting to encourage romance." The CopyCat ninja replies.

Naruto tries to picture Sasuke in a romantic relationship with anyone. He couldn't do it. Of course, he had always figured that somehow Sasuke would start spawning an army of Uchiha super babies at some point.

That had always been in the abstract though. Now that he knew Sasuke was gay and apparently willing to use surrogates to achieve said super baby army, it was even harder to imagine him in a relationship. It was even harder to imagine the last Uchiha shacking up with the gentle giant.

"Can't be a bodyguard mission. Sasuke specifically requested not to be assigned to those types of missions." The busty blonde says with a sigh.

The boisterous blonde ninja tries to suppress a snicker at that one. Oh yeah. Lord Tao had been really asking for a beating. He still couldn't believe the noble thought that they were lovers! Honestly, where did people get these crazy ideas?!

"A trade mission to the Land of Tea?" Tsunade muses after a few moments.

"That sounds perfect. It's a beautiful place. They also have some very nice hot springs." Kakashi offers.

"Alright. It's decided then." She says.

Naruto darts off. He knew that his former teacher would be leaving Tsunade's office soon. The blue eyed ninja just didn't want to get caught ease dropping.

A short while later, he heads back and knocks on Tsunade's door. The Hokage tells him to come in. Naruto walks inside.

"Hmm that's not like you. You actually knocked. What's wrong brat?" Tsunade asks.

"Nothing's wrong! So um do you have a new mission for me?" He inquires cheerfully.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow. She didn't believe that for a minute. Naruto was up to something. She would figure out what it was one way or another. The medic shakes her head and hands Naruto the details for his latest mission.

"Think you can handle that?" She asks.

"Piece of cake! Come on Granny Tsunade, challenge me a little." He replies.

"After the war, it's hard to find something to challenge you. Just take the mission. Be happy that this is the most serious mission that you are likely to get for awhile. It means the peace is holding." She chides him gently.

Naruto sighs and nods. Yeah that was true. It was as good thing. He was getting a little bored though. Maybe he should try to beat some answers out of Sasuke. Yeah. That could be fun.

"Alright. I'll see you around later." He says and heads off towards the Uchiha District.

Naruto blinks when he arrives. Suigetsu and Sasuke were working hardcore on one of the houses. Damn. They looked pretty determined.

"Hey, bastard! I was going to ask if you wanted to train, but you look a little busy." The blue eyed ninja observes.

"We are almost done here. Suigetsu, it's your house. If you fuck it up, you have to live with it. Yeah. I got time." Sasuke says as he heads off with Naruto.

A few hours later, they both collapse in exhaustion. They might have only been using Taijutsu, but it was still intense. Training with Naruto was one of the few things that honestly pushed Sasuke to his limits. He liked having a real challenge. He didn't get much satisfaction from winning easy fights.

"So I was kinda wondering about something…" Naruto says.

"Yes, orange is a hideous color. Yes, it makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Yes, you should get a new wardrobe. No, you can't borrow any of my clothes." Sasuke says smugly.

Naruto twitches. Sasuke really could be such a bastard sometimes. Well actually he was a bastard most of the time, but that wasn't what was important right now!

"You are such a jerk. But I was wondering, you know about…everything?" The boisterous member of Team Seven begins.

"Uh huh. That's very specific. Naruto, despite the Sharingan's many talents, I still can't read minds. Quit beating around the bush and tell me what you want. It's annoying when you draw it out." Sasuke mutters.

"Alright. Alright. Well you are gay, right? So is there anyone that you like? Do you have a type? How does that even work anyway?" The blonde asks.

Sasuke blinks in disbelief. Naruto had actually went there? He knew what his friend meant by how does that even work. He was asking about the mechanics of sex between two men.

"Yes, I'm gay. Maybe. Not exactly. You aren't actually asking me to draw you a diagram or something are you? Why do you care? You've always been into women." Sasuke replies.

"Oh that was very helpful, bastard. I care because I'm your friend and I want you to be happy. As for the last part, well I guess that I was just curious. How do you figure out who the girl is in the relationship? I mean obviously, someone has throwing their kunai and the other person catches it." The blonde says.

Sasuke twitches. That was it. SMACK. Naruto needed to be smacked for that one. Who was the girl?! Honestly!

That was extremely offensive. He knew that Naruto didn't mean any harm by it. The idiot probably really thought that it was a logical question to ask. What Naruto really meant to ask was how do you tell who tops? But he had asked in just such a ridiculous way, that Sasuke HAD to smack him.

"You really are such an idiot sometimes." Sasuke mutters.

Later that day, Jugo goes shopping. He was picking up some supplies. Mostly tools like hammers, nails, and things of that nature. Sasuke thought it would be a good idea for him to get used to doing such simple tasks, without him next to him.

Jugo didn't think this was a good idea, but he didn't want to argue the point. He just really hoped that Suigetsu wouldn't tell Sasuke the truth. That would only end in disaster.

"You look like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders." He hears someone say.

The gentle giant looks around. He blinks in surprise. It was Kakashi. The silver haired ninja used to be Sasuke's Sensei back when he was a Genin. So Jugo knew him in passing.

What he didn't know is why the man was talking to him? He debates for a moment before walking over to him. He might as well see what the other man wanted. There was no reason to be impolite, after all.

"I have a few things on my mind. Did you need something?" He asks.

"It's about Sasuke. We got the results back from his mental health evaluation." The CopyCat Ninja beings.

Jugo gulps. He knew that those probably hadn't been good. Sasuke was likely suffering from PTSD. It had never been treated. The results of that were evident on an almost nightly basis. Sasuke's nightmares were intense to say the least.

"Oh it's nothing that bad. Well it is, but nothing that we didn't expect. We did find out something rather surprising though. Based on his responses to various visual stimuli, he's attracted to men." He says.

"I know that you were his teacher, but I don't think that it's appropriate for you to be looking into his medical results like that. You aren't trained as a counselor or a medic. I don't see what his sexuality has to do with anything or how you would even know if the results were accurate." Jugo says.

The last thing Sasuke needed was to deal with a concerned teacher. Maybe Kakashi would try to "fix" Sasuke, so that the last Uchiha would become attracted to women. Even worse, what if Kakashi tried to set Sasuke up with someone?!

"He's lucky to have such a good friend in you. I know that I'm not a counselor or a medic, but I was his instructor. Tsunade thought my opinion would be helpful in evaluating his results because I know him better than the medics do." The silver haired ninja points out in a disturbingly logical fashion.

The gentle giant mentally sighs. He couldn't exactly argue with that. Sasuke was a difficult person to understand, no matter how long you had known him. It would be a nearly impossible task for a stranger to manage.

"That's true. Is his sexuality a concern? There's nothing wrong with preferring the company of your own gender." He insists.

"Oh I know that. It's not the fact that he prefers men that is the concern. We just don't know if he has consciously admitted that to himself yet. If he's ever going to move on from the past, it would be helpful if he had more strong bonds. A lover would be ideal." The older ninja continues.

Kakashi was trying to set Sasuke up. Jugo counts to ten mentally. He was trying his best not to go into another rage. Sasuke wasn't close enough to hear his battle cries, if he did.

There would be no stopping him, if he lost control. He couldn't lose control. The orange haired man knew that the Jonin was only trying to help Sasuke. It would be wrong to hurt him for caring.

"Why don't you ask him that? I don't think he'd appreciate this sneaking around. He wouldn't like it, if he finds out you have been going behind his back. A lover might be a good idea, but that's up to him. Not you and not even the Lady Hokage." The former S Class Criminal says.

"Still it would be good if Sasuke can at least admit to himself that he's gay, if he hadn't already. It would be much healthier for him not to live in denial. You want him to be happy, do you not?" The silver haired man inquires.

That was such a dirty trick. Of course, he wanted Sasuke to be happy. He loved the last Uchiha. Thankfully, the Jonin didn't know that. Still it was a dirty trick because Kakashi knew that Sasuke was his friend and he wanted him to be happy.

"You know that I do." He grumbles.

"Excellent. So you and Sasuke are about to be assigned on a mission together." He states.

Jugo raises an eyebrow. He wasn't sure where the other man was going with this. He was almost afraid to ask really. Despite this reservation, he nods his head encouragingly at the CopyCat ninja and urges him to continue.

"To the Land of Tea. Just a trade mission, but you will have lots of time for teammate bonding. Perhaps you can get him to open up to you. You don't have to reveal anything he says to you. I don't expect you to betray his confidence. You're his teammate. He trusts you." Kakashi finishes.

"…" Jugo is speechless.

He wasn't entirely sure, but was the silver haired ninja asking him to seduce Sasuke? He looks at him in shock. Jugo was positive that he must be openly gaping at the other man.

"It should be a relatively simple mission to complete. The Land of Tea is truly a beautiful place." The masked ninja continues.

"Yes, it sounds easy enough. I can't deny that the Land of Tea is beautiful. That's why it's such a popular tourist destination. Did you just…indirectly tell me to try to seduce Sasuke?" He asks bluntly.

Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He hadn't expected Jugo to be so direct. This was going to get awkward, he muses.

"Well if you have an interest in doing that, I wouldn't discourage you. I was more suggesting that you should try to talk to Sasuke. Maybe he will feel more comfortable opening up to you than most other people." He says with a smile.

"Uh huh. Well I can't exactly turn down the mission. I'm a new ninja for the Leaf Village. It wouldn't look good. Glad that you don't expect me to violate his confidence because even if he told me something that personal, I wouldn't go around and spill his secrets to everyone." Jugo says as storms off into the market.

Kakashi blinks. Well that could have gone better. Still at least the seeds had been planted. Maybe he should send Pakkun after them to observe what, if anything, happened between the two former criminal ninjas.

"Well it's a start." He says to himself and Pakkun.

"Don't even think about sending me after them. I'm a Ninja Dog. I'm not a Ninja Cat. I don't have nine lives. Sasuke will kill me, if he finds out I was spying on them. Don't do it, Kakashi." The dog warns him.

"Was I being that obvious in my thoughts?" He inquires in amusement and the ninja dog nods in confirmation.

The Jonin sighs. Damn. He was getting so easy to read that Pakkun knew what he was plotting. He had to work on that. If Sasuke found out about his matchmaking attempts, well it wouldn't be pleasant.

He knew that it was a risk to meddle like this, but it was one that he had to take. Sasuke clearly needed someone in his life. Someone other than Naruto. Jugo might very well be able to fill that role.

"Well I suppose that this does make Clan Restoration more complicated, but I doubt it will stop him." He observes to himself.

Pakkun nods. Now that was a scary thought. A bunch of mini Uchihas running around and setting everything on fire when they had temper tantrums. The Terrible Twos were going to be a real bitch to deal with.

"Are you sure that we should be encouraging them?" He asks cautiously.

"I think it's a good idea. He needs someone in his life. You saw how Jugo defended him, while he wasn't around. That's a sign of a good lover. Come on. Let's go pick you up some of those doggie biscuits you like so much." Kakashi says with a smile and his ninja dog follows him into the market.

Meanwhile back at the Uchiha District, Sasuke shakes his head. Suigetsu and Karin were fighting again. He really should have told Jugo to pick up some earplugs. Honestly, where did they find the energy to bicker with each other 24/7?

"Stop shrieking at me!" Suigetsu snaps at her.

"Well stop being annoying again. Now tell me the truth, did you eat MY cookies?!" She demands.

"Yeah. I ate them. I was fucking hungry. Sasuke and I have been working on this house, all day. So what?" The violet eyed man demands.

Karin twitches. She was going to throttle Suigetsu. How dare he eat her cookies?! She had made those for Sasuke!

They always said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. So she had thought maybe he'd warm up to her, if she made him some cookies. Of course, Suigetsu had to go and ruin it! The pig!

"THOSE WERE FOR SASUKE, NOT FOR YOU!" She screams.

"Karin, that was nice of you. But I don't like sweets." He mutters and shakes his head when his comment is ignored.

Karin and Suigetsu were soon rolling around on the sidewalk. He sighs and looks up at the sky as if to ask, _"Why me?"_ Just once he would like to be part of a normal team.

He sighs in relief when he saw Jugo entering the District. Sasuke walks over to him. The last Uchiha offers to help him carry the bags of stuff. An offer that Jugo accepted gratefully.

"Again?" He asks in disbelief.

"Yes, they are fighting. Again." Sasuke confirms as he begins carrying the bags over.

"What was the fight about this time? You would think that they would have run out of things to bicker about, by now." He muses.

Sasuke sighs. The raven haired man explains. This fight was about cookies. Yes, fucking cookies. There really wasn't anything that the two of them wouldn't fight about. Truly, they were like oil and water.

"You want to go get something to eat at the ramen shop, while they wear themselves out?" Sasuke asks.

"Sounds good to me." Jugo says and he walks off with Sasuke, it was his lucky day…dinner with a view.


	7. Chapter 7

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. It looks like Itachi, the puppy, was popular. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Itachi is still a puppy. His speech is far from perfect, but he gets his point across.

Chapter Seven

A few days later, Jugo and Sasuke are summoned to Tsunade's office. The Hokage gestures for them to take a seat. The two ninjas wisely do so.

"I want you to both go on a mission. It's a trade mission. All you have to do is take these scrolls with you and discuss them with the Leader of the Land of Tea. See if they are acceptable or not, to him. You are not to barter on our behalf, merely take notes about what he says. He has agreed to provide accommodations for both of you, while you conduct your mission. It's listed as a B rank mission." She explains.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. That sounded more like a C ranked mission to him. If all they were doing was taking notes, there seemed to be very little risk involved.

"How is that a B ranked mission? Do you expect us to be ambushed by bandits along the way?" He asks.

"It's a B Rank mission because of the political significance this task carries. The actual risk to your physical safety is very low. You can almost think of this as a vacation really." The busty blonde replies.

Jugo glances at Tsunade. A vacation? Sasuke had just been reinstated as a Leaf Ninja. He had just become one. Why would she give them a vacation? Was she in on Kakashi's ridiculous attempts to meddle in Sasuke's love life?

"Alright. We'll take it. Come on Jugo. Let's go home and get packed." Sasuke says as he heads out the door.

A short while later, they were back in the Uchiha District. Thankfully, Suigetsu had his own place now. So they didn't come back to him and Karin bickering like cats and dogs again.

"Suigetsu, we have a mission. Trade mission. We are going to the Land of Tea. B ranked. Low risk. Let Karin know." Sasuke says simply he walks into his house.

"Hey! I'm not your damn secretary!" The white haired man protests.

Jugo gives the sword lover a dirty look. Suigetsu rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Given the gentle giant's track record of losing it lately, he decides not to press his luck.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll tell her. Sheesh." He grumbles.

The orange haired man nods approvingly and follows Sasuke. He smiles when Itachi bounds over to him. His tail was wagging and he clearly wanted to play.

 _Hmm, I wonder if he has some more of those biscuits! Those were good! Oh maybe, I'll get some belly rubs. Well his scent smells like he's more interested in playing with Sasuke than me. Is it human mating season,_ Itachi wonders to himself.

"Good boy. You can have your biscuit. I'm afraid Sasuke and I will be gone for a few days. Don't worry, Suigetsu and Karin will take good care of you though." He says and kneels down to give him the treat.

"No go." He says and Jugo had to remind himself that this was a ninja dog.

Ninja dogs could actually talk sometimes. So could ninja cats for that matter, but he digressed. Still it would take some getting used to. It looked like Itachi was just starting to learn how to communicate verbally.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go. We'll be back soon. Don't worry, Karin and Suigetsu will take good care of you." Jugo says as he pats Itachi's ears.

Sasuke comes down the stairs a few minutes later with their stuff. It seemed that he had also packed for his traveling companion. He smiles when he sees Jugo with the puppy. He'd never say this out loud, but there was something very sweet about the image.

"Sasuke, Itachi can talk now. Well a little bit." He says.

"Great. Be a good boy for Suigetsu and Karin. You know how they are." Sasuke instructs Itachi and heads off with Jugo.

A few days later, they arrive in the Land of Tea. It was late enough at night, that the Tea Lord told them that they would begin conducting business in the morning. He shows them to their rooms and later on, one of the staff shows them to the hot springs.

Sasuke seemed quite content to bask in the hot water. It looked like he was completely oblivious to Jugo's internal struggle. Then again, the last Uchiha just had never really been that shy about his body or anyone else's.

Jugo chuckles as he remembers what Suigetsu told him about how he and Sasuke met. Suigetsu had been inside a tank. Sasuke had slashed it open and a naked Suigetsu came tumbling out. Sasuke hadn't baited an eyelash at Suigetsu's nudity or even the sword lover's threat to blow his brains out.

"You look like you are about to start laughing. What's on your mind?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh I was just thinking about how you and Suigetsu met." He replies honestly.

Sasuke smirks. Yes, that was an unconventional meeting. He knew exactly what the white haired man had been trying to do. He had been trying to fluster Sasuke with his nakedness or gun like gesture. It hadn't worked.

He knew that to this day, that still pissed Suigetsu off. Sasuke found that amusing. He would never actually say that though.

He had a reputation to protect. His reputation was the kind of reputation that would say he didn't give a fuck about Suigetsu's sulking. (He actually did, but he wasn't going to admit that.)

"I imagine that's always good for a laugh." He says and winces as he cracks his neck.

Yeah, he must have slept on it wrong. Sasuke hated when that happened. Well that's what he got for using a rock as a pillow. They had made camp the night before on their way to the Land of Tea in a meadow. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

That way he wouldn't get any grass or bugs in his hair. Good news, he didn't get any insects or vegetation on him. Bad news? His neck was sore as Hell.

"Sasuke, what's wrong with your neck?" He asks.

"Oh nothing. I just slept on it wrong. Not a big deal. That's the last time I use a rock as a pillow." He mutters.

"Let me try to fix it for you. I used to be pretty good at such things." He offers.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side. When exactly would Jugo had had the opportunity to get good at neck rubs? Then it hit him. K _imimaro._

He tries to squash down the irrational jealousy he felt at that knowledge. It was none of his business. It didn't matter what Jugo had done with the ill prodigy. They hadn't even known each other back then. He was dead. It wasn't like Kimimaro was going to steal the gentle giant from him.

"Alright. It's not that bad though." Sasuke insists and Jugo wades over until he was behind Sasuke.

"Then it shouldn't take long to fix." His comrade murmurs and places his hands on Sasuke's shoulders.

It was ridiculous. He couldn't be jealous of Jugo's relationship with Kimimaro. He couldn't be jealous over a dead man. They weren't even together now. Sasuke knew that he had no right to begrudge Jugo whatever brief happiness he had achieved with the other man.

He knew that logically. Unfortunately, he was an Uchiha. No matter how much people may have gushed over his Clan's intelligence in battle, they had an Achilles' Heel. Their emotions.

Their heart would always end up winning in the end. So Sasuke knew that he was waging a losing battle. He was jealous over a dead man. Great. Just fucking great.

"Hopefully not." Sasuke agrees.

He leans back against Jugo's broad, powerful chest. Nice and warm. Cozy, even. He resisted the urge to cuddle into him. Uchihas were not supposed to cuddle!

"Tell me if this feels better." He whispers and begins the shoulder rub.

Jugo knew that this was actually a really big deal. He doubted there were very many people that Sasuke let touch him. Let alone that he willingly let touch a place that was near a majority artery and expose his back to. It warmed his heart that the last Uchiha had such faith in him.

It was also a way to test the waters. It was a platonic neck rub, but still this was more intimate than most of their other touches. Sasuke might cuddle up to him when he was asleep, but that was different. This time the other man was actually awake.

"Okay." Sasuke says and allows Jugo to continue his administrations.

He closes his eyes and sighs in contentment. That didn't feel better. That felt fucking amazing. Sasuke had never realized this before, but apparently he carried all his tension in his neck and shoulders.

At the moment, he was damn grateful that he wasn't a cat. He would have been purring, if he was. That would have been embarrassing.

"I don't want to start a fight, but I think you have the right to know. Tsunade and Kakashi have been evaluating your mental health exam results." He begins.

"Mhm?" Sasuke asks, enjoying the rub down too much to be overly concerned at the moment.

Jugo bites his lower lip. This would likely provoke Sasuke. Well at least he had learned that the other man enjoyed his touch. Sasuke was in a good mood at the moment. That was likely the best time to drop this little gem on him.

"I'm not really sure how they figured it out, but they know that you prefer men. Kakashi thinks that you would benefit greatly from a lover. He wanted me to find out what you thought was appealing and help him with his matchmaking attempts." He continues.

Sasuke twitches. Alright. Good mood destroyed. It wasn't Jugo's fault though. In a way, he was relieved to find out that Jugo would tell him what was going on behind his back. Still when he got back to the Leaf, he was going to give Tsunade and Kakashi a piece of his mind. How fucking dare they try to meddle in his love life?!

"I see. Thank you for telling me. They are going to regret their meddling. It's none of their damn business. Surprised that they weren't upset that I was gay. It makes having children a bit more complicated. I would have thought they'd be more worried about the Sharingan bloodline than trying to set me up." He seethes.

"Sasuke, they were trying to help. Granted they did it in a rather idiotic fashion, but still." He tries to reason with him.

Sasuke nods. Oh he knew that. They were just trying to help him. The Leaf was fond of doing that. Maybe their intentions were actually pure, but it still came down to them trying to get him to do whatever they wanted. Control. The Leaf was always trying to control him, even when it came to his sex life.

"I know that. It's just fucking infuriating. The Leaf has always wanted to control every aspect of my life. Now they want to _encourage_ me to take a lover. They have no respect for free will or privacy." He growls.

"Sasuke, perhaps you should get some sleep. It's late. You might feel less angry about this in the morning. They were wrong to try to manipulate you like this, but they did it because they want to help you find happiness." Jugo argues.

The last Uchiha nods again. He knew that Jugo was right. Maybe some sleep would help.

"You're right. And Jugo?" He asks as he gets out of the water.

"Yes, Sasuke?" Jugo asks as he gets up, deciding that he might as well head to bed as well.

"Thank you. Thank you for telling me that. You could have easily done what Kakashi wanted you to, but you didn't. You were honest with me. I appreciate it." He says.

Jugo smiles. Sasuke was hardly one for gushy declarations of friendship. So by his standards, that was quite the declaration

"You don't have to thank me for that. Friends should be honest with each other." He offers with a smile.

 _Friends?_ Maybe they were from Jugo's perspective, but part of Sasuek wanted more than that. Sasuke mentally frowns at this knowledge.

He had been jealous of the other man's previous lover. No, he knew that he should be honest with at least himself. His feelings for Jugo went beyond friendship.

Was he in love with him? No. Well maybe. Actually, he had no idea. Sasuke had never been in love before, so how would he know if he was in love now?

He just knew that he felt safe around the other man. Sasuke felt that he could let his guard down around Jugo. He also was attracted to the gentle giant and enjoyed his shoulder rubs. That was something right?

"Yeah. They should. Night, Jugo." Sasuke says.

Sasuke was heading off when his foot missed a step. He starts to fall, but Jugo catches him. Somehow their lips touched.

It was somewhat of a familiar occurrence for Sasuke. He had accidentally kissed Naruto twice in this way, but there was one key difference. Sasuke and Naruto had quickly broken apart and started gagging. Jugo was doing…well the opposite of that.

"Nhh." Sasuke soon finds himself moaning into the kiss.

It might have started out as an accident, but Jugo was clearly quite happy with this development. Sasuke had never been kissed like this before. This was on purpose and felt so fucking _**good.**_

Somehow he was able to kiss in a gentle, reverent way. But there was no mistaking Jugo's kiss for being submissive. Sasuke couldn't quite put his finger on how, but somehow his comrade was exerting complete control.

"Easier this way." Jugo breaks the kiss long enough to murmur before pushing Sasuke against a nearby tree.

Jugo knew that it had been an accident. He should haven't kissed him back. Still it had been an instinct. Sasuke had kissed him _**BACK.**_ Maybe it had just been an instinctive reaction, but Jugo planned to take full advantage of it.

Sasuke's kisses were surprisingly shy at first. Then again, maybe he should have expected that. As far as he knew, the only person that Sasuke had kissed before was Naruto. That didn't matter to him though. He'd get more bold with practice. Besides, he tasted so fucking good. Like dark chocolate and red wine.

It didn't take long for the last Uchiha to start to kiss back with more ferocity though. Jugo moans into the kiss when he felt Sasuke's tongue challenge his for supremacy. Of course he lost that battle.

It wasn't a fair fight. Jugo had experience that Sasuke just didn't have. He breaks the kiss and places a trail of kisses along his jaw line and then over his collarbone.

"That feels better." Sasuke murmurs seductively.

The last Uchiha felt his eyes bleed red. He didn't know why the kisses felt so good. It didn't seem to matter if they were on his mouth or his neck. He felt his toes curl in pleasure and suddenly was rather grateful for the loose towel wrapped around his waist.

He didn't know it was possible to get this turned on from kissing. Had he knew that it could feel this good, he probably would have found a lover earlier. Lover. Well Jugo wasn't his lover. He was just a friend who he was making out with at the moment. A friend who was really good at making out and necking, but still.

"Good." Jugo says as he lightly bites down on the other man's neck.

That's when Sasuke lost it. He let out a wanton moan. The raven haired ninja didn't even know he was capable of making that sound. There was just something incredibly erotic about feeling Jugo's teeth against him like that. Primal really.

"Would you like some more towels?" A staff member asks and then her eyes widen.

She blushes deeply. It was apparent that she had just realized what she walked in on. The poor girl was mortified.

"I'm so sorry. Um I'll just leave them right here. I didn't see anything. I swear!" She squeaks and races off.

That broke the spell. Sasuke blinks. He didn't know what to do or say. That had started off an accident, but it definitely hadn't ended up that way. There was really no denying what had just happened.

Jugo lets go of Sasuke's neck. Damn the towel girl. For a few moments, Sasuke had kissed him back. Sasuke had even let him mark up his neck. It had been pure bliss. Naturally, someone had to come along and accidentally ruin it.

"It's alright. Would you prefer to talk about this in the morning? After we've both had a chance to think about it and gotten some sleep?" He says.

Sasuke just nods his head. Jugo could see the relief in his body posture. Sasuke might not say it, but he had been close to panicking.

He had a good reason to panic. Jugo knew that the other man had only a handful of friends. It was likely that he wouldn't want to risk their friendship over a physical attraction. That and Sasuke had a very hard time trusting people. The older ninja couldn't imagine entering a romantic relationship would be easy for him.

"That's probably a good idea. Good night, Jugo." Sasuke says again and heads off to his room.

It was a struggle. Sasuke didn't want to run off, but he didn't feel like walking. He had no idea what he was going to say in the morning.

He couldn't deny the attraction with a straight face, pun intended. Sasuke felt a bit embarrassed at his behavior. All that from a little kissing and necking!

"What the hell am I supposed to say to him?" He whispers and touches his lips.

They still tingled from the feeling of Jugo's lips against his. He never knew that kissing could elicit reactions like this. Fuck. He had gotten an erection from making out!

"Thank God that he didn't see that." He grumbles to himself and decides a cold shower would be a good start towards solving his problems.

Meanwhile Jugo was having a similar problem. He couldn't believe that had just happened. He had practically jumped Sasuke against a tree.

He should have had more self-control than that. Jugo blamed animal instinct. He had just wanted the other man for so long, that his body had reacted before his mind had caught up.

"I might have ruined everything for a few minutes of pleasure." He mutters to himself.

It had been absolute bliss. But where a few heated kisses and love bites really worth it? What if Sasuke didn't want anything to do with him after that?

He knew that his comrade was gay. That wasn't the issue. Sasuke couldn't be disgusted at him being attracted to men. That would be hypocritical. But that didn't mean that Sasuke wanted to be with HIM specifically.

He sighs. Well one way or another, it was likely he would get his answer in the morning. Jugo curls up in his bed and tries to get some sleep.

Back in the Leaf, Itachi was watching Suigetsu play with his swords. They were shiny. Itachi liked shiny things. So he had decided to come investigate the white haired man's home.

Sasuke and Jugo had said that the other two members of Taka would take care of him. He had never known his owners to lie. So here he was, watching Suigetsu play with his swords. It was highly entertaining.

"Suigetsu, did you remember to feed the dog?" Karin asks him as she walks into his house.

"Hey! You didn't even knock or anything. This is my place. You are breaking and entering. You can't just barge in like that!" He protests.

Karin rolls her eyes. It seemed that Suigetsu was in need of his daily beating. The red head was beginning to wonder if he couldn't function without it. Maybe he actually liked getting beaten up. It would certainly explain a lot.

"Pft. Please. We all live in the Uchiha District. We are members of the same team. I don't have to knock to visit your place. Besides, you are an idiot. You'd probably forget to feed Itachi, if I didn't remind you. Really, you should be grateful." She lectures him.

Suigetsu raises an eyebrow. He should be grateful that the woman came into his home without knocking? What kind of fucked up logic was that? Sometimes he wondered if maybe Karin was suffering from brain damage. She hardly ever made any sense and today was no exception.

"Thank you?!" He demands incredulously.

"You're welcome. That's better. See you can learn some manners. You are just a very slow learner. But that's okay. You'll get there eventually." She says smugly.

Itachi watches them curiously. Humans were so strange sometimes. He wondered how they ever managed to Mate. First, Sasuke and Jugo were covered in the scent of desire for each other, but wouldn't act on it. Now these two were play fighting.

He was pretty sure it was play fighting. They would have actually hurt each other by now, if it wasn't. Right? Karin and Suigetsu simply had to be play pouncing.

"You are crazy! What the Hell should I be thanking you for?!" Suigetsu yells at her.

"You should be thanking me for reminding you to feed Itachi. That's what. What do you think that Sasuke and Jugo would have done to you, if you forgot to feed the puppy? I probably just saved your life. You should learn to express your gratitude better." She says and places her hands on her hips.

Suigetsu just shakes his head. Women were nuts. That was the only logical explanation.

"Itachi, women are crazy. Absolutely crazy. Maybe female dogs make more sense than human women. I hope so for your sake." He mutters.

"Suigetsu, duck." Itachi warns him.

It was too late though. The frying pan had already gone flying. The sword lover takes a blow to the head.

"OWE! YOU FUCKING CRAZY BITCH!" He hisses.

"Uh oh. You no say that about women. They get mad." Itachi chides him gently.

The sword lover blinks. Oh for Godsakes! Now he was getting etiquette lessons from a dog! Could this day get any weirder?

"The dog is smarter than you!" Karin snaps at Suigetsu.

Suigetsu groans. He rubs the rapidly forming bruise on the back of his head. Karin was crazy, but she had very good aim. Unfortunately.

"You wish. You are just psychotic. You're so lucky that you have the ability to heal people. I doubt he would have kept you around otherwise. Hell, it's a miracle that Jugo hasn't attacked you in a rage yet." He tells her.

"Why would Jugo attack me in a rage? I don't go out of my way to provoke him, like you do. You are an idiot by the way. It's a damn good thing that Sasuke was there to save your sorry ass." She scolds him.

"Um forget I said that. That just kind slipped out." The white haired man says sheepishly.

"No. I'm not going to forget it. What the Hell did you mean by that?! If Jugo might attack me, I have a right to know why." She demands.


	8. Chapter 8

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Lots of swearing and crude descriptions.

Chapter 8

The next morning, Sasuke sighs. He looks at himself in the mirror. He almost could have imagined that it had all been a dream, save for the love bites on his neck.

Anyone would have been able to tell what had caused those marks on his neck. Well anyone that wasn't an idiot anyway. The last Uchiha suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. He dawns a high collared shirt and some pants before going to Jugo's room.

"Jugo?" He calls out as he knocks on the door.

It didn't take long for the gentle giant to open the door. He moves to the side to let Sasuke into his room. The last Uchiha quickly heads inside.

He still wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say. Sasuke just knew that he didn't want to have the conversation n the hallway. Yeah. It'd be much better if this was a private conversation.

Jugo wasn't sure if he was relieved that he would presumably get an answer or terrified. At least last night there was a chance that Sasuke might actually say yes. Now that chance might be taken away completely.

"Good morning." He says gently.

"Morning. I really don't know what to say." Sasuke admits.

Fighting Madara had been easier. Much easier. His body was certainly very interested in continuing where they left off. He might or might not be in love with Jugo, but he liked him. His mind though was in the process of coming up with the millionth reason why pursuing a romantic relationship with the other man was a bad idea though.

"That's alright. Take all the time you need. Though if you take longer than two hours, we'll have to go and see the Tea Lord before you give an answer." He points out gently.

"For a guy that goes into rages, you are pretty patient. The way you kissed me, wasn't a fluke. You don't kiss someone like that if you haven't wanted them for awhile. How long have you…been thinking about this?" He asks.

The other member of Taka pauses. He knew that this was likely a critical moment. Sasuke might be flattered or felt like he had been keeping secrets from him. He had to tread very carefully here.

"I try to be. I know this is all new to you. It's not your fault. You had other things on your mind that were more important. You're right though. Awhile. It's been on my mind for awhile." He answers honestly.

That was vague. Sasuke translated awhile to mean a long time. He didn't what to say to that, but he wanted a more specific answer.

"How long is awhile? What are we talking weeks, months, years?" He asks.

"Since before the war." He answers and Sasuke blinks.

How had he not noticed? Then again, Jugo was a more subtle person than Kairn. He hadn't been trying to jump him in his sleep or trying to steal his toothbrush. It would have been an easy matter to overlook his friend's longing compared to the more direct attempts of the red headed girl on their team.

"I feel like I'm as oblivious as Naruto. I should have noticed before now." He mutters.

"Don't feel that way. You just had other things on your mind and it's not as if I was lavishing you with declarations of undying love. I wasn't even entirely certain if you liked men at all. There wasn't much of a point in making advances, if I wasn't certain there was at least a chance that you might return them." Jugo says.

Sasuke nods. Well that made sense. Jugo didn't want to be obvious because he wasn't sure if Sasuke was gay. He couldn't fault the other man for his logic.

"If we decide to continue where we left off, what exactly would you be expecting?" He manages to ask.

He bites his lower lip in consideration. Jugo was apparently a patient and kind lover, judging by that. He hadn't wanted to scare Sasuke off. He was willing to wait and hadn't forced his attention onto him.

The last Uchiha was used to people panting after him. Hell he would even argue in some cases, he was used to being borderline stalked. So it was a new experience to have someone pursue him that wasn't… _pushy._

"Whatever your comfortable with. I won't like, I'd like to continue what we were doing yesterday and I would go into a rage if I saw you like that with anyone else. So exclusivity. As far as whether or not our relationship would be public or private, that would be completely up to you." He tells him.

 _"Whatever you are comfortable with."_ Even when the last Uchiha asked Jugo what he wanted, he still framed it in a way that was putting Sasuke first. Most people just told him what they wanted him to do.

First of all there was his brother, the Council, and Third Hokage. Itachi had manipulated him out of love. His brother had made him believe that Itachi was the villain, when he was the victim. The Council and Third Hokage made Sasuke believe that Itachi had massacred their Clan, when it had been ordered.

"You know it's funny. You are the first person to ever say that to me." Sasuke muses.

The Third might not have wanted it to happen, but he hadn't told Sasuke the truth afterwards. That still riled him. It was hard to reconcile such deception with the Third's image as a loving grandfather like figure.

"I'm the first person to say what to you?" Jugo asks in confusion.

Orochimaru came next. Come to the Sound, so you can get strong enough to kill Itachi. Then Madara/Obito/Tobi/whatever fucking name he chose to go by that day, he tried to manipulate him. Even Naruto had never bothered to ask what Sasuke wanted. Jugo was the only one who had asked that.

"Whatever I'm comfortable with. Everyone else either tried to manipulate me or order me around. It's…annoying." He admits.

"That's incredibly sad." His companion says.

Sasuke shrugs. That was really nothing compared to losing his Clan and Itachi in particular. It was just the way of the world, he supposed.

"Not nearly as sad as you willingly locking yourself in prison to avoid hurting anyone. I don't know what I would have done in your position." Sasuke continues.

Jugo wasn't sure what to say to that. He knew that they were getting off topic though. He just wasn't sure how to push them back towards it.

"As I said, whatever you are comfortable with. If you would prefer to pretend it never happened, I would do that. If you want to continue, that would obviously be my preference." He says gently.

Sasuke pauses. Did he really want to do this? Yeah, he liked Jugo. The desire was definitely there. But every time that he loved someone, they died. The only exception was Naruto. (But Naruto was Naruto.)

"Are you sure that you really want to be with me? I'm cursed." He mutters.

"Sasuke, you aren't cursed. Everything that happened was not your fault. It would have happened with or without you, but I'm sure." Jugo tells him.

There was also another issue. Jugo never gave him graphic details, but Sasuke was pretty damn sure that he had experience with more than just shoulder rubs. What if he made an absolute fool of himself?

It was hard to feel too panicked though. Jugo was looking at him in the same way Itachi did. Unconditional affection. If he was ever going to be happy with someone, this might be his best chance.

"Alright. We'll try it and see how it goes. I don't mind monogamy. It's not like there is anyone else that I'm attracted to or the type to cheat anyway." Sasuke says after a few awkward moments of silence.

"You mean it?" Jugo asks and Sasuke nods.

Sasuke is suddenly picked up and spun around rather vigorously. The last Uchiha felt a bit dizzy. Jugo though was clearly very happy with his answer and that made Sasuke smile.

"I'm happy too, but can you stop shaking me like a maraca?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh. Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away there." Jugo admits sheepishly.

"It's okay. We should probably go speak with the Tea Lord. Tsunade said all we had to was take notes. This should be easy." Sasuke says.

Jugo nods. He follows Sasuke to meet with the Tea Lord. Quite honestly, his impulse was just to skip the entire meeting. But he knew that would be horribly unprofessional. So he dutifully followed his new boyfriend.

That was going to take some getting used to. The word boyfriend seemed far too tame to apply to the last Uchiha. They weren't lovers though. They certainly weren't married. Significant lover was a mouthful. Hmm, he'd have to think about what he was going to call Sasuke from now on.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, Karin was hounding Suigetsu. One way or another she was going to get answers. She was not going to be ignored!

"Tell me what is going on right now! I'm not going to get attacked for something and not even know why!" She snaps at him.

"Alright. Alright. Quit your bitching. Sheesh. Maybe Sasuke has the right idea. Maybe guys really are just easier." The violet eyed man muses.

You could have heard a pin drop. What was Suigetsu saying?! Was he trying to say that Sasuke was gay? No way! That couldn't possibly be true!

"What do you mean by that?!" She demands.

"I think you already know. Sasuke is Sas-GAY. He likes men. I mean I can't really blame him. The women that he's interacted with thus far all are psychotic." Suigetsu informs her.

Karin blinks. Was Suigetsu serious? Maybe he was just messing with her. It was hard to tell. Suigetsu did love to provoke her. Maybe this was just some sort of sick game. There was no way that Sasuke was actually gay, was there?

"Even if that was true, what does that have to do with Jugo?" The red head thunders at him.

Itachi shakes his head. He watches the fight. At the moment he was torn between amusement and horror. This was going to be… _explosive._

"Look, I don't want you to do anything crazy. But you and Jugo are both after Sas-GAY's ass. That's why he rages so hard when I tease him. That's why he's calmed down by him. He's in fucking love with him." The white haired man explains.

The red head couldn't process that. Jugo was in love with Sasuke? Since when? How could she have not have noticed that? Was Suigetsu making this up.

She shakes her head. No. He couldn't be making this up. Not even the sword lover was THAT creative. He was creative, but no one could have just made up this bizarre turn of events.

"Are you sure he's gay though? Maybe he's just bisexual." Karin reasons.

"I'm pretty sure he's gay. Jugo apparently got the answer out of him. Don't you dare tell them that I told you. I just guessed with Jugo. He wasn't going to come out of the closet to me. Sasuke is a different case. I don't know if he's embarrassed about it or he might just not give a fuck. Maybe he just doesn't view it as important information to share." The violet eyed man says and shrugs.

Itachi shakes his head and cleans his paws. How was it not obvious that Sasuke was gay? His scent said as much. Humans really had weak noses. It was a good thing that he was here or else they would never figure anything out!

"No wonder he never responded to me. This makes so much sense. If he only likes men, not even the most beautiful woman in the world would catch his eye." She says.

Suigetsu just looks at Karin in disbelief. Oh for fucksake. Well he supposed it was better than he expected. Now her pride was soothed and he had avoided another beating. Damn she was a vicious little thing.

"Yeah. Exactly. So keep your mouth shut. I don't want Jugo to think I was going around and spilling his secrets just for giggles. You know what I mean?" He asks.

"I get it. I won't tell anyone. I just never would have suspected that he was gay." She muses.

"Oh come on. His hair is just a little too perfect, he's such a neat freak, he cooks, and he never looks at women. It was kinda obvious." He protests.

Karin twitches. She smacks Suigetsu for those stereotypical comments. Honestly, he was such a child sometimes!

"Owe! What was that for?!" He demands.

"That was horribly stereotypical. The dog has better manners than you." She scolds him.

"That's true." Itachi agrees and goes to play with his chew toys.

It looked like the worst of the spat was over. Maybe things would quiet down now. He really needed some doggie earplugs. They were so loud.

Meanwhile Tsunade and Kakashi were conspiring again. The Lady Hokage was going over some medical files. Lots of medical files.

"Don't you think it's kinda early to be worried about surrogates?" He asks good naturedly.

"No. Not really. It's the only way that he'll be able to achieve his second goal and be with a man at the same time. Besides, this kind of thing takes time. It's not like I'm planning on presenting him with the file the second they return from their mission." The busty blonde protests.

Kakashi shrugs. He knew Sasuke. He could only hope that Jugo was too embarrassed to tell him about their little conversation. Otherwise, he was in for one Hell of a tongue lashing.

It probably wouldn't stop there either. He could easily picture some fireballs and Chidoris being hurled at him. Oh well. It was worth it. Really, it was for a good cause. If anyone needed to get laid, it was his most solemn student.

"I suppose that's true. Are you only including candidates from the Leaf though?" He inquires.

"No. I have some from other villages. Mostly villages that we would like to strength our ties to or who are already our allies. Why did you have a suggestion?" She inquires.

The silver haired ninja pauses. Hmm it was an interesting question. He wasn't entirely certain that Sasuke would want anything to do with the surrogate after the child(ren) were born. Perhaps he would simply thank her and send her on her way. Then again, there was the possibility that he would want the biological mother involved in his child(ren)'s life.

"It's a tough call, but I would include native Leaf Villagers and foreigners as well. Better to have too many, than too little." The CopyCat Ninja offers.

Tsunade nods in agreement. Sasuke was tough to read when it didn't come to battle. Who knew what went on in his head? Even after his psychological evaluation, he was still something of an enigma.

"Alright. You were his teacher. If you think it's a good idea to add foreign ninja, then it must be. I worry about how Sakura will react when she finds out that Sasuke is gay. I know that she used to carry a torch for him." She murmurs.

"Well it might soothe her pride a bit. After all, if he simply prefers men, there was nothing that she could do to win him over. Women are funny that way." He replies and shrugs.

Tsunade gives him a dirty look. Kakashi gulps nervously. Maybe that hadn't been the brightest thing to say considering that the Fifth Hokage was also a woman.

"In what way?" The busty blonde demands.

"Nevermind, My Lady. Was there anything else you wish to discuss?" He asks, trying to change the subject.

Kakashi knew damn well what her temper was like. The woman was a legendary Sannin. If she got angry, well things could get quite painful for him. He'd like to avoid that, if at all possible. Thank you very much.

"Not presently. Though I would like you to watch them when they get back. Check to see if their behavior is different. Sasuke is highly unlikely to tell us if he's suddenly started to date. But there would be signs. I'm assuming that you know what to look for." Tsunade replies.

The silver haired ninja nods his head in agreement. Of course he knew what to look for. He was a die hard romantic. Why else would he read Jirayia's books so much?

"I'll do my best to watch over them. If I see anything unusual, I'll report it immediately. Don't worry. I'm sure that this will all work out." He assures her.

Tsunade nods and sighs. She wasn't so sure that this would all work out, but they had gone too far to turn back now.

A few days later, Sasuke and Jugo return back to the Leaf. They were heading back to the Uchiha District, when they bumped into Naruto. The blonde greets them excitedly.

"So how did the mission go?" He asks.

"Pretty well. We mostly took notes. I don't think the Tea Lord is going to give the Leaf much difficulty when it comes to negotiating trade ratios." Jugo says with a smile.

Sasuke nods in agreement. Honestly, he couldn't care less about the trade mission. It was so simple that he could have done it when he was a Genin. Hell, he probably could have accomplished it with ease while he was in the Academy.

No. His mind was on something else. He was dating Jugo now. Well maybe dating wasn't the right word, but he couldn't think of another way to describe it at the moment.

"Well that's good. Easy money then. You guys feel up to going to the Ramen Shop with me?" He asks.

"Sure." Sasuke says with a shrug.

He was a little hungry and the Ramen Shop was on the way back to the District. He looks at Jugo to see his reaction. If he didn't want to go, he'd just have the gentle giant return home and see him in a bit.

"I don't mind." The orange haired man replies.

"Great!" Naruto exclaims happily and drags them off.

It was a rather comical picture. Sasuke was scowling and Jugo was easily two, if not three time bigger than Naruto. They were getting a lot of funny looks as they passed by.

Naruto either didn't notice or he didn't care though. The blonde had one thing on his mind. That was the glorious goodness known as ramen and he was going to eat with his two friends! This was a good day.

"So did we miss anything?" Sasuke asks as he orders a tomato salad and Jugo orders a steak.

The blonde blinks. He didn't know they served steaks at the Ramen Shop. Hmm. You learned something new everyday. He orders three bowls of ramen to start off with.

"Well Suigetsu and Karin are fighting a lot. I'm not sure what about, but sometimes I can hear them as I walk by. Poor Itachi. We are going to need to get him earplugs. Do they sell earplugs for dogs?" He asks curiously.

Sasuke considers that question. Honestly, he didn't know, but he should probably look into it. It might be borderline animal abuse, if he didn't. He was many things, but cruel to animals wasn't one of them.

"Not sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask." He says as he bites into his meal.

"Yeah. Probably a good idea. I don't really know where they get that much energy to fight all the time. They are worse than us." Naruto says.

"Karin and Suigetsu have always rubbed each other the wrong way. I'm convinced that it's unresolved sexual tension half the time." Jugo offers and Naruto gapes.

Sasuke shrugs. Jugo could be a rather blunt individual. It was the fact that he delivered these observations in such a gentle, innocent voice that made them have more punch. He wasn't sure if Jugo did that on purpose or not. Maybe he just liked shocking people.

"Jugo's a really open person, once he gets to know you." Sasuke says with a shrug at Naruto's shocked expression.

"Yeah. I see that." Naruto muses.

Jugo knew that it was silly, but he felt a little jealous of Naruto. He knew that he had a really strong bond with Sasuke and they had known each other longer. He places his hand on Sasuke's thigh underneath the table, deciding to test the waters.

So far their relationship had been relatively innocent. If he was only looking at the physical aspects, it was mostly kissing and embracing each other while they slept. Sasuke was definitely getting bolder when it came to kissing.

He just had a naturally competitive personality, Jugo supposed. Kissing and sleeping next to him was a glorious experience. But he was hoping that eventually they would get beyond just doing that.

"Whoa! Easy there, bastard!" Naruto says as Sasuke suddenly starts choking for "no reason."

Alright. Maybe that had been pushing it a little too far. Jugo pats Sasuke on the back to help him get through his choking fest.

"Thanks." He mutters.

Sasuke couldn't believe that Jugo had done that. He had said that he didn't mind a public or private relationship. Sasuke hadn't given him a definitive answer on that subject, but he certainly hadn't expect him to put his hand that close to his dick in public!

"Damn. It's getting late. I better go file my report to Granny Tsunade. I'll see you later." Naruto says as he pays for his part of the meal and heads off.

Sasuke quickly finishes eating. So does Jugo. The former Criminal Ninjas leave their money on the table and head towards the Uchiha District.

"I can't believe you did that." Sasuke says.

"Well you never said that I couldn't make affectionate gestures towards you in public. Besides, it was underneath the table. It's not as if Naruto saw. Are you worried that he would have an issue with seeing two men together?" He asks.

Sasuke blinks. He had no idea how Jugo could place his hand inches away from his cock at a fucking restaurant and still come out as the innocent one in this relationship. It had to be some kind of talent, really.

"No. Naruto knows that I'm gay. He knows absolutely nothing about the mechanics of how such relationship work, but then again he's an idiot. I doubt he knows how kunais and pouches work, much less kunais and kunais. Naruto is fine with the fact that I prefer men though. But that's not the point!" Sasuke exclaims.

"Well if it makes you uncomfortable, I won't do that in public again." He offers.

It was hard to stay flustered or angry when Jugo sounded so reasonable. Sasuke sighs. It was almost like he really didn't know any better.

"It's fine. It just surprised me is all." He mutters.

"That's only natural. You've never been in a real relationship before. That's alright though. I don't mind teaching you. Didn't you tell me that you were at the top of your class at the Academy? I'm sure you'll be a very good student." He muses and pushes Sasuke against the nearest wall in the Uchiha District, kissing him.

Sasuke kisses back. He liked kissing. He really, really liked kissing actually. He wasn't really sure if this counted as a real fight or not. But kissing and making up sounded good at the moment.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S REALLY TRUE. YOU'RE GAY!" Karin exclaims when she saw Jugo and Sasuke in a liplock.

"Could you say that a little louder? I don't think the entire fucking fire country heard you, yet!`" Sasuke snaps at her and his Sharingan activates in agitation.

"Sorry, it's just a shock. I'm gonna go now!" She says.

"That would probably be a good idea." Jugo agrees and Karin squeaks, racing off towards Suigetsu's place.

Sasuke smacks his forehead. Great. Now he would have to put up with Karin and Suigetsu's reactions. Damn it. This was going to be extremely annoying.


	9. Chapter 9

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Oh and if you have any suggestion for who you would like the surrogate or surrogates for Sasuke's kids, feel free to let me know.

 **Chapter Notation:** There is a lime. Warnings put up before and afterwards. So if you prefer a more innocent relationship, you can skip that. On the other hand, if you like your citrus, feel free to enjoy.

Chapter Nine

"Why didn't you tell me that you were gay? For God sakes, Suigetsu knew before I did! That's just not right!" Karin demands.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He failed to see why his female teammate needed to know which gender he was attracted to. It had nothing to do with any of their previous objectives or their current relationship.

"You didn't ask and there was no reason to tell you. Suigetsu guessed." Sasuke replies.

Karin felt herself twitching. How could he be so callous about this?! She loved him. Eventually, she figured that she would win him over and they would have lots of beautiful babies together. Now he was gay though. That obviously wasn't going to happen.

"Unbelievable! Is everyone in this house gay, except for me?! What is the dog gay too?!" The red head bellows in exasperation.

"I like girls. No gay." Itachi adds helpfully.

Suigetsu snickers. That was fucking adorable really. Itachi probably thought that he was actually helping cheer Karin up. Unfortunately, the puppy's efforts were in vain.

"Well I'm also straight. You know, if that helps?" The sword lover says between snickers.

"Oh like that matters! You aren't getting laid anyway. I still can't believe this. Is there anything else that you guys have been keeping a secret from me?! We are teammates. Teammates shouldn't keep secrets from each other." She grumbles.

"Apparently Kakashi wants to meddle in my love life?" Sasuke asks with a shrug.

Suigetsu blinks. Oh yeah. That wouldn't end well. He almost felt sorry for the CopyCat ninja when Sasuke got his hands on him. That was going to be a painful reckoning.

"Why would he meddle in your love life?" Karin asks in confusion.

Sasuke sighs. This was annoying. Why was he putting up with this? Couldn't she just accept that he was gay without an interrogation?

"Because the Leaf loves nothing more than to try to control me and my family. I'll deal with him later. Now you know that I'm gay. Jugo is gay. Don't make a big deal out of it." Sasuke decrees.

Karin sighs. Damn it. It was just her luck. Though she supposed that did explain why Sasuke was surprisingly resistant to her advances. Of course he wouldn't fall for her feminine charms. He preferred masculine charms.

"Alright. I get it." Karin admits in defeat.

"Good." Sasuke says as he heads up the stairs to his room and Jugo follows him.

Suigetsu looks at Karin with a sneaky smile. Karin raises an eyebrow. What was that idiot up to now?

"What is it? You look like you are up to something. You better not try anything stupid. Sasuke will beat you till you are black and blue, if you do." She warns him.

"Oh I was just wondering if you were interested in a little bet. I bet a week's pay that Jugo tops when they finally do it." He says.

Hmm. That was an interesting bet and quite a bit of money. She'd definitely win though. Sasuke was not a person who easily gave up control. It didn't matter how much bigger Jugo was. It didn't matter that the other man was older. Sasuke was definitely not going to bottom.

"You're on. I'll take that bet. Easiest money that I ever made." She says with a smirk.

"We'll see about that." Suigetsu says with a smirk of his own.

The next day the sounds of a Chidori being fired off could be heard in the distance. Sasuke had gone to confront Kakashi. He wasn't going to take this meddling lying down.

"CHIDORI!" He snarls as he charges at his former Sensei.

"Sasuke, what is the matter with you?! Why are you attacking me?" The silver haired ninja demands as he narrowly dodges.

It was a close call. Sasuke was amongst the fastest people that he had ever known. He could smell a few strands of his hair that were sizzling. His evasion had been that narrow.

"That's for meddling in my love life. Jugo told me everything. It is none of your business or the Leaf's business whether or not I am fucking someone." Sasuke snaps at him.

"Sasuke! Tsk tsk. You have really developed quite the filthy mouth. You know that it wasn't like that. I just though that you would be happier if you had someone special in your life. Someone that wasn't Naruto. It's not good to isolate yourself like you have been doing." The older ninja tries to reason with him.

His former student wasn't having it though. A barrage of fireballs was suddenly hurled at Kakashi. The CopyCat Ninja was able to extinguish them only thanks to a water dragon jutsu.

"You tried to manipulate me into entering a romantic relationship and are lecturing me on my language? Fuck you, Kakashi." Sasuke seethes at him.

Oh boy. This wasn't going well. Perhaps he should have expected that Jugo would inform Sasuke of what had been discussed between them. The gentle giant was clearly completely loyal to the last Uchiha.

Now Sasuke was throwing the Uchiha version of a temper tantrum. A temper tantrum that included Chidoris and fireballs. Damn it. He had to fix this and soon. His former student might not be content to use only "low and mid-level" attacks for much longer. (Well low and mid-level by Sasuke's standards anyway.)

"I suppose you have a point there. Though I really am far too old to be your lover. That and I'm afraid that I just prefer women to warm my bed, instead of men." He teases him.

"That's not funny, Kakashi. You know exactly what I meant." The raven haired ninja growls at him.

It was funny really. Sasuke was the only one of his students that had never addressed him as Sensei. Perhaps that should have been Kakashi's first clue that Sasuke was going to be far more difficult to corral than Sakura Naruto.

He could hardly blame him. When most of your family was wiped out when you were seven, little things like respect for authority seemed rather trivial in comparison. His childhood had been cut brutally short, even by ninja standards.

"Yes, I know that I shouldn't have meddled. I'm just worried about you, Sasuke. I want you to be happy. Most people aren't happy, if they are so alone. That's all. It wasn't done with any malicious intent." He offers.

"It may not have been done with malicious intent, but it's just another example of this village trying to control every aspect of my life. If I take a lover, it's going to be because I want to do so. Not because the Leaf "helpfully" suggested it. And for your information, I didn't need your help. I'm already…involved with someone!" Sasuke rages at him.

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. Sasuke was many things, but he wasn't a liar. Still he found it hard to believe that his broody former student had already taken a lover or at least begun courting someone. He had to ask.

"Who is it?" The CopyCat Ninja inquires.

"That's really none of your business. Just stop your interfering. Besides, I'm not alone. Taka is living in the District and so is Itachi." Sasuke says.

The silver haired man blinks. Itachi? Itachi was dead? Oh boy. Had Sasuke finally snapped? Was he having hallucinations that Itachi was still with him? If so, that was utterly tragic and dangerous. He would need psychological treatment right away.

"Sasuke, Itachi is dead. You know that, right?" He asks gently.

"What are you talking about? He was just begging Jugo for biscuits, yesterday." The last Uchiha demands.

Oh boy. Begging Jugo for biscuits? Kakashi had a hard time imagining Itachi beginning for anything, much less biscuits. Sasuke's mind must have finally snapped. This was just heartbreaking.

"Sasuke, you killed Itach yourself. He was revived briefly in the war, but he isn't coming back again." He continues gently.

"I'm not talking about my brother. I'm talking about the dog that I got from Kiba. I named him after Itachi. I'm not fucking crazy, Kakashi." Sasuke bellows at him.

Kakashi sighs in relief. The dog. Good. Sasuke hadn't lost it. He didn't think his dead brother was still with him.

"You really should have specified that earlier…" He mutters.

"Did I give you a scare? Good. You deserve it. Don't you ever try to interfere in my love life again. I'm not Sakura. I'm not Naruto. I will not put up with it." Sasuke warns him.

"Of course. Though I am curious. Who is it?" His teacher continues.

Sasuke twitches. He really should Chidori Kakashi in the balls. It was none of his business. Honestly, he needed to back off.

"Jugo. If you bother him about our relationship in any way, I will make sure that you regret your decision." His former student says and teleports off.

Kakashi sighs. Well that could have gone better. Still he was alive and his student was dating someone. So all in all, things were going better than expected. He would have preferred it if Sasuke wasn't furious with him, but you couldn't have everything.

Meanwhile back in the Uchiha District, Karin watches Jugo in confusion. The large man was cooking something. She didn't know that he could cook.

"Jugo um what are you doing?" She asks.

"Cooking. I heard Sasuke's Chidori fire off. He's likely confronting Kakashi. So he'll be upset when he gets back. I thought some tomato soup might calm him down. He likes tomatoes." Jugo says.

Karin blinks. Well that was actually sweet in a bizarre way. She almost felt guilty about being so flabbergasted at their relationship.

Obviously, she would have preferred it, if she was the one who made Sauske feel better. Still she wasn't going to begrudge her teammates their happiness. Yes, she was still sore and jealous about it. But she would get over it. It was just going to take some time.

"That's really sweet of you. So you don't have to answer, if you don't want to. But I was kinda curious about something." Karin begins.

"Yes?" Jugo asks as he adjusts the temperature of the stove.

Hmm. How could she ask this without coming across as some kind of pervert? She didn't want to risk offending him. Sasuke wasn't here. If Jugo went into a rage, the best she could do was dodge.

"Would you say you are the more aggressive lover or Sasuke is?" The red head asks tactfully.

"I don't know really. We just got together less than a week ago. We haven't figured that out yet." Jugo says.

"Ohhh. That's odd. I would have thought that Sasuke would be the type that it takes him forever to find someone he likes, but he would…you know?" She trails off.

Jugo shakes his head. He knew that she was trying to be nice. He couldn't deny that it disturbed him how often she had thought of Sasuke's sexual preferences though.

"He's not the type to rush into anything." Jugo replies with a shrug.

"Sasuke's shy?" Karin asks in disbelief as if that thought had never occurred to her.

"Sasuke is not shy." Jugo protests and mentally gulps when he sees Sasuke walk into the kitchen.

He really hoped that his boyfriend didn't hear any of that. Sasuke probably wouldn't be too happy about their sex lives being discussed. (Well more like the lack of it.) That and he definitely wouldn't be pleased to be called shy.

"And how am I shy, Karin?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

To most people, he seemed the picture of calm. Jugo knew Sasuke. A raised eyebrow from Sasuke was like a rattlesnake shaking its rattle. This was your first warning that you should proceed with caution.

"Oh um you aren't!" Karin says nervously.

"Jugo wouldn't have had to correct you about my lack of shyness, if you didn't call me shy." Sasuke says, clearly not buying it.

"I'm going to go. Suigetsu wanted some help setting up his home! Bye!" She squeaks and runs off.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Really? How dumb did she thinks that he was? She wanted to help Suigetsu? Did he look like he was born yesterday?

"How'd it go with Kakashi?" Jugo asks in an attempt to change the subject.

The last Uchiha sighs. Well hopefully, his former teacher had learned his lesson. He was not going to allow the Leaf to meddle in his love life. Fuck that.

"I threw a few attacks at him. We had a heart to heart. I made it quite clear that if he wants his heart to continue beating, he was not ever attempt to set me up again. He knows that we are together now. Is that a problem?" Sasuke asks.

"It's not a problem to me. I made you some soup." He says.

Sasuke smiles. Tomato. Jugo clearly paid attention to things like his favorite foods. It was a small thing, but heartwarming nonetheless.

"Thanks. I am a little hungry. So how annoying was Karin being?" Sasuke questions him as he sits down and begins eating.

"Fairly annoying. I don't want to be more descriptive than that. It wasn't anything worth killing her over. I know your temper." Jugo says and stands behind Sasuke.

Sasuke savors the soup. He shrugs at the gentle giant's response. Alright. If Jugo said it wasn't that big a deal, he'd let it slide.

"Alright. I'll ignore it for now. But if she gets too annoying, tell me. I don't want you to go into a rage because she can't get over her petty jealousy. This is really good by the way." He says.

"I'll let you know. I'm glad that you like it." Jugo says as he goes for another shoulder rub.

Sasuke sighs in pleasure. He didn't know what it was about a shoulder rub that felt so good. He closes his eyes in contentment and decides just to go with it.

"Mhm. That feels good. Though it feels a little one-sided." He admits.

He didn't want Jugo to think that he was shy. If he kept having his boyfriend initiate everything, he was going to get the wrong idea. Sasuke was not by any means submissive.

The last Uchiha could understand why the gentle giant would assume he should take the lead. He was older than Sasuke. Jugo had more experience than Sasuke. It was only natural that he would think that he was going to be the more…aggressive of the two of them when it came to intimacy. That was why it was important that Sasuke nip that idea is in the bud right now.

"What did you have in mind?" Jugo asks.

He wasn't really sure if this counted as Sasuke initiating, but it was bolder than Sasuke had been so far. The raven haired ninja wasn't shy. He would return Jugo's affectionate gestures, but Sasuke had yet to go further than Jugo did. So this was fairly monumental in the orange haired man's eyes.

"You'll see." Sasuke says with a smirk and gets out of the chair.

He saunters over to Jugo. Jugo idly notes that Sasuke had a great saunter. It was fitting that the Uchiha Clan had once been strongly associated with ninja cats. There was a certain feline grace to their movements.

Sasuke takes his hand and teleports them to his bedroom. Jugo was now familiar with Sasuke's room. He had slept in it about half the time since he had moved in with the last Uchiha.

"Sasuke?" He asks in confusion.

Much like cats, Uchihas also apparently had no problem pouncing. He pushes Jugo onto the bed and straddles his waist. Once he was on top though, Sasuke seemed a little uncertain about what to do next.

"You shouldn't be the only one who starts the touching. I don't want you to think that I'm a selfish or passive lover." Sasuke says as he leans down and captures Jugo's lips with his own.

Jugo smiles into the kiss. He happily returns it. The orange haired man was not going to argue with kissing. Besides, he liked this new view. Sasuke was gorgeous.

"I would never think of you as passive or selfish." Jugo murmurs after breaking the kiss and caressing Sasuke's cheek.

"Good because I'm not. I just haven't done much before." Sasuke states.

"I know. That's alright. Like I said, I don't mind teaching you. I think it'll be enjoyable really." He says and flips them.

Sasuke blinks. Normally, he would try to flip his "opponent" off of him. But this was Jugo. Jugo clearly wasn't threatening him.

"Teach me what exactly?" The last Uchiha asks cautiously.

"Everything. Just relax. You can use your Sharingan if you want to cheat." He muses.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. His Sharingan? What did you that have to do with them making out and possibly having sex? That didn't make any sense to the young ninja.

Jugo slides Sasuke's shirt open. He smiles and places gentle kisses along the ivory pale column of his throat and slides his hands over Sasuke's well sculpted chest.

"Nevermind. I g-et it now." Sasuke says and activates his Sharingan.

God that felt good. Sasuke settles back into the bed. Why argue? It felt nice and it was a learning experience.

He knew that he was attracted to Jugo and he knew the basic mechanics. But know that in theory was different than actually doing it. Besides, he could always stop him if he went too far. He was no bottom!

"Good. Let me know what you like and what you do not. Everyone is different. What I like, might not be what you like." He says and brushes his lips against his abs, lightly licking them.

Sasuke squirms. He could feel goosebumps forming along his skin. The good kinds of goosebumps though. That almost tickled in a way.

"That's…not bad." He murmurs.

"I think we can do a bit better than that." Jugo observes.

Sasuke nods slowly. He wasn't really sure what Jugo was planning on doing, but he knew that it was probably going to be further than kissing and licking.

 **Warning Lime**

"If you want me to stop, just tell me and I will." Jugo says and Sasuke nods.

It took all his self-control to keep his composure when he felt the other man tug off his pants. Jugo's hand slide underneath his boxers and Sasuke's eyes widen. Ohhh. That's what he had in mind.

"Nhhh fuck!" Sasuke moans when he felt Jugo's hand wrap around his cock and begin pumping him.

Sasuke had masturbated before. Everyone had. He had never hated it, but he didn't understand the obsession with other people. Apparently, such activities were much more fun when they were a participatory sport.

Jugo couldn't help but smirk a bit at that reaction. Sasuke was very sensitive it seemed. Almost everyone liked having their dick played with, but usually they weren't that responsive so fast.

"I like this much better." Sasuke says as he bucks against Jugo's large, warm hand.

Sasuke knew that it might be slightly messed up, but he had always been attracted to power. Apparently this extended even towards his sexual preferences. The fact that he could feel how big Jugo's hand was and knew about his monstrous strength, was a turn on.

"Good. You can cum. You don't have to hold back. I want to make you feel good. You don't have to worry about returning the favor." Jugo says as he kisses Sasuke and continues stroking him.

Sasuke moans into the kiss and uses his tongue to explore his almost lover's mouth. God that felt so good. He didn't know it was possible to get aroused this fast.

Jugo allows Sasuke to dominate the kiss. He knew Sasuke. He was naturally competitive. If he completely tried to dominate him, the other man would likely balk or lash out.

The last Uchiha breaks the kiss by tugging on his lower lip. His eyes were ruby red and smoldering with desire. Jugo wished he could take a picture. The Sharingan could look rather fearsome, but there was also a raw sensuality to it.

"So fucking good." Sasuke growls out.

"You're really sensitive. You neglect yourself too much, but now you don't have to worry about that. You have me." He says and continues "petting" his almost lover.

Sasuke was big. Jugo had purposely kept his boxers on. He knew that despite his bluster, Sasuke would probably get easily flustered if he was naked or mostly naked. (This was especially true because Jugo was mostly dressed and that would make the balance of power unequal.)

"Fuck!" Sasuke practically roars as he reached his climax.

He had never had an orgasm that was that intense before. His heart was racing. It felt like pure adrenaline was rushing through his veins. So this was why people were so obsessed with sex. If a hand job felt this good, he couldn't imagine what going further would be like.

 **End Lime**

"Wow." Sasuke pants and Jugo smiles, kissing him.

Sasuke returns the kiss and allows Jugo to hover on top of him. For some reason, the fact that Jugo dwarfed him was comforting in a way. He was also so warm. It was almost… _cozy._ (Sasuke decides that a more masculine sounding description would be required later, but shoves that thought to the side to be examined another day.)

"Did you like that?" Jugo asks.

The last Uchiha looks at the orange haired man in disbelief. Jugo had to be fucking with him right. Did he like that?! He had just had the most mind-blowing orgasm of his life and Jugo asked him THAT?!

"You're fucking with me. You can't possibly be unsure if I liked that or not." Sasuke mutters.

"Maybe a little. I like hearing you say it though." Jugo admits.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and runs his hands along Jugo's back. His boyfriend (or whatever the fuck he was supposed to call Jugo) was like Itachi in a lot of ways. He was unconditionally loyal and very eager to please.

"Well if you keep that up, I'll say it more often." Sasuke says and decides fuck it.

He cuddles into the larger man. Sasuke normally only did this in his sleep, but they were together now. He could get away with cuddling with Jugo while they were awake.


	10. Chapter 10

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry this one is somewhat late. I hope you all enjoy it though.

Chapter 10

A month later, Sasuke looks at Tsunade in shock. He vaguely wondered if maybe the busty Hokage had finally lost it. That was really the only logical explanation. He couldn't have possibly heard her right.

"You want me to be an Academy instructor?" He asks.

"That's right. Unfortunately, I can't really assign you missions that are suitable to someone of your skill level. You're still reintegrating back into the village. Half of the villagers are terrified of you and the other half don't trust you." She begins.

Sasuke nods. That much was true. He didn't particularly care what the villagers thought of him, but she was Hokage. Tsunade was supposed to care. He gestures for her to go on.

"Assigning you low level missions inside the village, would just make you resentful. You do need some sort of task to keep you engaged though. Something that will make you feel like a part of this community again." The blonde continues.

Sasuke couldn't exactly argue with that logic. She did have a point. Still it was rather odd. She wanted him to teach a bunch of kids how to be ninjas?

"If the villagers don't trust me to do high level missions, what makes you think that they would trust me with their kids?" He asks.

Tsunade smiles. That was a good question. She had prepared in advance for it though.

"They might not trust you, but none of them think you are stupid. Attacking children, would be very stupid in your case. They know that you know you are being closely monitored inside this village. That and you are one of the strongest ninjas alive. Whatever their parents might think of you personally, none of them can deny your skill. Their children would be learning from the best. So I think they would be willing to overlook your…colorful past." She replies with a smile.

Sasuke considers it. She had a point. The Hokage couldn't really assign him any challenging missions. He WOULD get bored and pissed off if she assigned him low level missions. He certainly couldn't become a medic because of his temperament and the destructive nature of his chakra. That almost left the Academy as a default option.

"Alright. I'll do it. It should at least give me something to do. Besides, who knows? Maybe the kids will be less annoying than their parents." The raven haired ninja says with a smirk.

"Good. So it's settled then. For now you will be assisting Iruka. You've never taught children before. I don't think you fully realize the level of work that goes into being a good teacher. Don't worry. I'm certain that under his guidance, you'll catch on soon enough." Tsunade assures him.

The last Uchiha nods. That didn't sound too bad. Iruka was one of the few people in this village that hadn't pissed him off directly yet. He didn't like Iruka, but he didn't dislike him either.

"Alright. Well you can talk to him about it. I'm going to head home. I assume you have more important things to do today than to be my career counselor." Sasuke says.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are a smartass, Uchiha?" The busty blonde demands.

"All the time. Though it's mostly Naruto or Suigetsu that tell me." He answers with a shrug.

"Good because you are. Alright. I imagine Jugo will be getting back from the Nara Clan's forest soon. I know that he hates to get home before you do. So you should probably get going." She muses as she begins to do some paperwork.

That snapped Sasuke out of his relatively good mood. He sends a kunai flying at Tsunade. He wasn't upset when she caught it. He had been intending to prove a point. The last Uchiha wasn't actually trying to assassinate her.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean and why are you taking such an interest in my personal life?!" He practically snarls and his eyes bleed from black into the familiar red of the Sharingan.

"Sasuke, you are one of the most dangerous ninjas on the planet. You are also not like Naruto. No one really knows if you are going to snap again. It would be foolish of me not to take an interest in your personal life and to watch for warning signs." She begins.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. That was true. Still he damn well knew that crack about Jugo had been anything but innocent.

"And your remark about my relationship with Jugo?" He demands.

"I'm not oblivious. I see the way he looks at you. He practically worships the ground that you walk on. What's interesting though is you are apparently quite content with that arrangement. You normally shove people away who try to be close to you, but not him. It doesn't take a genius to realize that the two of you are involved." The medic continues.

The young ninja felt his blood boil. She had no right to meddle in his love life. It was bad enough Kakashi was doing it, but Tsunade?! At least the CopyCat Ninja had been his Sensei. It was somewhat expected that the Jonin would take an interest in his personal life, but he barely knew the busty blonde at all. She had no right to comment on things that she did not fucking understand!

"It's none of your business whether I take a lover or not. Besides, Jugo is a man. You don't have the same excuse to meddle that you would, if either of us was a woman. It's not as though Jugo or I could get pregnant." Sasuke snaps at her.

"Sasuke, calm yourself. I am not objecting to your relationship with Jugo. Though I find it interesting that you use the word lover. That implies that there is real affection there and it's not just a physical relationship." She muses.

"Don't you dare fucking psychoanalyze me again. I already dealt with your stupid psychological testing. You don't get to mess with my head again." The last Uchiha thunders at her.

That's when it clicked. Real affection there. Why did Tsunade care if he was just using Jugo for easy sex? Unless she wanted them to be together. Those tests hadn't been about his mental health. They had been about finding out if he was gay.

"You fucking sneaky bitch! You used those tests to find out if I was interested in men. You and Kakashi were both trying to set me up with Jugo!" He hisses her.

Tsunade winces. Damn it. He made that sound so much worse than it was. She and Kakashi were only trying to help him find love. It wasn't like they were conspiring against him to harm him.

"Alright. I'll admit that the testing was designed to see if you had any interest in men, but we just wanted to help you. Besides, it clearly worked. You are together now." She reasons.

"We are together because WE want to be and not because of your mind games. I should kill you. It's never going to stop, is it?! This village is intent on controlling every aspect of my life from cradle to grave!" Sasuke practically screams at her.

"Sasuke, if you do not calm down right now, I am going to be forced to restrain you." She warns him.

It was too late though. Sasuke was seeing red. He was furious. Couldn't he make ONE decision in his life, without the Leaf trying to force his hand?! Just one?!

"Try it. I dare you." He hisses.

"I'm sorry that it came to this. This is just a time out. Perhaps you'll be more level headed in the morning." She says and gestures for the ANBU standing in the hallway to take the shot.

He wasted not time. The dart flew fast and true. Sasuke was immune to most poisons, but not tranquilizers. This was a fact that Tsunade suddenly found herself grateful for as Sasuke's eyes suddenly glaze over and he falls to the ground.

"How much did you put in that dart?!" She demands.

"Enough to knock out an elephant. You know what the Uchiha is like. Anything less than that, probably wasn't going to phase him. He's barely human anymore. The man is a demon. Pure and simple." The ANBU says with a shrug.

Tsunade shakes her head. She instructs the ANBU to send for Jugo. If anyone could calm Sasuke down when he woke up, it would be him.

That just left her with one small problem though. How was she going to explain why Sasuke as passed out and why he was so upset. Maybe she shouldn't send for Jugo. He might fly into a rage.

"Wait. On second thought, bring Karin here instead." She calls out and the ANBU nods, before darting off to carry out his order.

An hour later, Karin had retrieved Sasuke and brought him back to his home. She waits anxiously for Jugo to return. The red head was not particularly happy about playing the middleman (well middle woman.), but she had no choice.

"Sasuke! Karin! Itachi! I'm home." Jugo calls out as he enters the house.

"Arf! Come see! Sasuke sick!" Itachi calls out as he races over to his other Master.

Jugo's eyes widen and he follows Itachi to Sasuke's room. He blinks when he saw Sasuke passed out on the bed. Karin was watching him.

"What happened?" He asks.

"I'll tell you, if you promise not to go into a rage. He needs you too much for you to lose it. You going into a rage isn't going to fix anything." She says nervously.

It was then that Jugo noticed Karin wasn't alone. Suigetsu was also in the room. This was bad. Clearly, Karin was worried enough that he might lose control that she thought that Suigestu's presence was necessary for her safety.

"I'm not going to go into a rage. Just tell me what happened. I cant help him, if I don't know." The orange haired man pleads.

"I guess he went to see Tsunade about this next mission. Somehow she found out about you two being together. Sasuke thinks that she and Kakashi were trying to manipulate you two into entering a relationship. He didn't take it well." She begins.

Jugo blinks. He knew that Kakashi wanted them to be together, but he never suspected that Tsunade had played a role. Damn it. No wonder Sasuke was so angry. It was just another example of people trying to manipulate him.

If this made him have second thoughts about them, Jugo was definitely going into a rage. He would level this fucking village. God damn it. Why couldn't they just leave them both alone? Why did they have to meddle?!

"Then what happened?" He asks softly.

"They hit him with a powerful tranquilizer. He should wake soon though. When he does though, he's probably going to be very angry. We need you to calm him down." The red head explains.

Suigetsu watches Jugo carefully. He half expected the large man to spiral into a homicidal rage any second. If he did, Suigetsu wasn't entirely certain he could restrain him and prevent anyone from getting hurt.

He would have to try though. There was a reason why he was called a _Prodigy in the Art of Murder._ The white haired ninja would just have to focus on the prodigy aspect of that description was all.

"Alright. I'll stay calm. He needs me, but I'm not going to just let this go. They went too far this time." He mutters.

"Jugo, don't do anything stupid. Things are going really well for all of us." Suigetsu says.

"I don't know if I can promise that, but I will talk to him. I'll do my best to keep him calm." The other member of Taka states.

Karin and Suigetsu sigh. They nod. The two of them decide it was probably best to allow the couple to have some alone time. They slip off.

Not long after they left, Sasuke wakes up. He apparently didn't know what was going on because he lunged at Jugo. The older ninja was forced to slam Sasuke onto the bed, with his face pressed into the pillows.

"Tsunade, I'm going to tear you apart! You had no right to try to manipulate us like that!" Sasuke snarls and thrashes underneath Jugo.

Sasuke was a fearsome ninja, but Jugo was reasonably certain that if it came down to just pure raw strength, he should be able to keep Sasuke pinned. Maybe.

Well at least that was his hope. On second thought, he wasn't entirely certain if that was the case. Still he didn't have any other options available to him at the moment, so that was what he was going with.

"Sasuke, calm down. It's me, Jugo. I'm not Tsunade." He says as he struggles to keep the wild Uchiha underneath him.

He felt Sasuke's confusion the second his struggles became less frantic. Eventually, his body stills completely. Jugo thanked goodness for small miracles.

"Jugo?" He asks uncertainly.

"Yes, it's me. You're home now. Tsunade had you darted. Apparently, she was afraid that you were going to attack her and wanted to resolve the situation peacefully. She had Karin bring you back home." His significant other explains.

Sasuke blinks. He was home. He was home with Jugo. Well that was good. Still Tsunade needed a firm ass kicking for what she had done. It was not right.

"Did Karin tell you WHY I was going to attack Tsunade?" He demands.

"I got the general idea. Tsunade and Kakashi tried to manipulate us into having a romantic relationship. I understand the principle of the thing. They tried to control you. Naturally, you are upset. Though in this case, does it really matter? We got together on our own anyway." He reasons.

The last Uchiha pauses. That was a good point. They were together now. He was happy with Jugo. Did it really matter if Tsunade and Kakashi wanted him to be with the other man?

"It's still the principle of the thing. They think that I'm some sort of puppet and if they pull the right strings, I'll do what they want." He mutters in disgust.

"Are you saying that you don't want to be with me because Kakashi and Tsunade tried to set us up?" Jugo asks sadly.

It would be heartbreaking, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't be like everyone else. Everyone else was always trying to force the man underneath him to do what they wanted him to do. Jugo could at least have the decency to respect his wishes.

"What? No. That's not it. It's just that it pisses me off. It pisses me off that they tried to sneak around and set me up, behind my back. They just assume they know what's best for me." Sasuke says.

Jugo lets out a sigh of relief. Good. Sasuke wasn't actually breaking up with him. He was just justifiably angry because the two ninjas had meddled in their love life.

"Yes, I know. I understand. I'm glad that you don't want to leave me over this." He admits.

"Well I would kinda like you to get off my back, but other than that I don't have any complaints." The raven haired ninja states.

He chuckles. The gentle giant quickly gets off Sasuke's back. He knew that his boyfriend wasn't exactly the most patient man. If you made him say something twice, it generally didn't end well.

"Sorry about that. It was the only way I could think of to restrain you. You thought that I was Tsunade and were about to attack me." Jugo says in a rush.

"It's okay. I get it. I'm glad that you protected yourself. God they are annoying." Sasuke says.

Jugo wasn't entirely certain who they was in this context. He could mean Tsunade and Kakashi. But it was also possible that the last Uchiha was referring to the Leaf Village in general. Either way, at the moment Jugo was inclined to agree.

"Maybe a bath would help you shake off the tranquilizer faster." Jugo suggests.

"I think you just want an excuse to see me naked, but that's not a bad idea. Yeah, a bath might help." Sasuke says as he stretches.

Well he'd be lying, if he denied that. Jugo preferred to be an honest ninja when possible. So he nods his head in agreement.

"You say that as though it's a bad thing?" He inquires.

"It's not. It's not a bad thing, Jugo." Sasuke says with a smile and places a quick kiss to the other man's lips before heading to the bathroom.

Jugo smiles. He quickly follows Sasuke. They had been "dating" for a month. The gentle giant that calling what they did dating was a bit of a stretch. They didn't really go many places.

Mostly their relationship consisted of making out, massages, training, talking, eating together, and sleeping together. Unfortunately, that last one was in a rather innocent way. They hadn't gone further than the bringing each other to climax with their hands yet. (Which Jugo quite frankly loved, but he was hoping for more at some point.)

"It's a good thing that Suigetsu moved out or else we'd never have hot water." Sasuke mutters to himself as he begins filling the tub.

He didn't want to pressure Sasuke into something that he wasn't ready for. Jugo knew damn well that this was Sasuke's first romantic relationship. It wouldn't be fair to expect him jump right into bed with him. (Well in the more erotic sense of the expression anyway, they did sleep in each other's arms.)

"Yes, I do prefer the hot water as well." Jugo says as he follows Sasuke into the bathroom and stands behind him.

He'd been patient. There was nothing wrong with communicating his interest. Was there? Maybe a little nudge would be beneficial.

Jugo smiles and wraps his arms around Sasuke's waist. He placed a soft kiss to the back of his neck. He knew that Sasuke's neck was definitely his spot. That was how you turned a ferocious lion into a mewing kitten.

"Mmm yeah. Did you need something?" The raven haired ninja asks.

"I need you. I thought maybe we could bath together. You know it's much better for the environment that way. Think of all the water we can save. There's a drought, you know?" he suggests.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had never known Jugo to lie. If he said there was a drought, there probably was one. Still he saw that for the flimsy excuse he was.

Jugo wanted to bathe together. Sasuke had never considered himself shy before. He certainly hadn't had an issue with bathing with his teammates before, but they had always had towels on. Besides, that was before he realized that he was attracted to Jugo and vice versa. It was different now.

"Oh yes. Water conversation is very important." Sasuke notes with amusement.

"It is." Jugo says and nods seriously.

"You can join me. Next time you can just ask. You don't have to use excuses like that." Sasuke says.

Jugo blinks. He didn't expect it to be that easy. Was Sasuke just waiting for him to ask for more intimacy this whole time and that was all there was to it? He really wished that someone would inform him of these things ahead of time.

"Alright. Do you want to get in first?" He asks.

"You can get in first." Sasuke says and moves out of the way.

He wondered if he should turn his back. No, that'd be stupid. Jugo wouldn't ask to bath with him, if he was concerned about his modesty. Clearly, Jugo wanted Sasuke to see him naked and vice versa.

The orange haired man quickly strips and gets in the tub. Sasuke soon follows suit. He had never been shy about his body. He wasn't like Suigetsu level of exhibitionist, but in general he didn't really see a reason to be bashful.

"So really all I had to do was ask, if I wanted to see you naked?" He inquires in amusement as Sasuke situates himself in Jugo's lap.

"Well yeah. Now that we are together. It's not like I'd get naked for anyone that asked though. Just you…and medics." He says and adds the medic part as an afterthought. (It was really important to be thorough when dealing with a potential lover who was prone to rages.)

Jugo smiles and begins thoroughly washing Sasuke. VERY thoroughly. The last Uchiha felt himself almost blush a couple times due to how…attentive Jugo was in this new task.

"Good. I can make an exception for medics, but anyone else besides the dog and I'm not sure that I would be able to control myself." He admits.

"That's alright. I wasn't planning on retiring from being a ninja and becoming a stripper anyway." Sasuke says.

"I'm certain that the world mourns that decision. You probably would have ended up richer than he Fire Daimyo himself, if you had done that." Jugo muses.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. Only Jugo could say something like THAT and not receive a Chidori to the nuts in response. He idly muses that it really was amazing what he would allow Jugo to get away with.

"Probably. I have enough money though. So that's not a major concern. How are things with the Naras?" He asks.

"It's going well. I like the work and it's safe. I don't really have anything there that I think could trigger me. The scales are evenly balanced in the forest." The orange haired man answers.

"That's good. Before Tsunade decided to piss me off, she was discussing what would be best for me. She wants me to be an Academy instructor." Sasuke replies.

Jugo blinks. Hmm. He wouldn't have thought of that option. He supposed it did make sense. Sasuke was a highly skilled ninja. The kids would be learning from the best. Still he wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

Sasuke might be bored to tears on such an assignment. That and he wasn't entirely certain how the parents would react. It wasn't every day that your children were taught by a former S Class Criminal Ninja, after all.

"And what did you think about that?" The other member of Taka inquires.

"Well I had concerns. The parents were who I was mostly worried about. I don't exactly have the type of history that would make people inclined to trust me with their kids. Still I guess it's better than low level missions for the foreseeable future and she can't really risk putting me on missions that are worth my time." He admits with a sigh.

Jugo nods. Well that sounded pretty reasonable. He was glad that Sasuke was at least willing to hear her out. (Well before he found out that Tsunade had been trying to meddle in their private lives anyway.)

"Do you still want to be an Academy instructor despite what happened?" Jugo asks softly.

"Mm I guess. It's not exactly my dream job, but it's better than chasing cats all day. Besides, the desks could be fun." He says and turns around to kiss Jugo.

His boyfriend kisses back eagerly. The gentle giant was pleased that Sasuke was growing more affectionate by the day. It used to be that he had to initiate most of their touches. Now it was more like 60/40. (With Jugo still being the more likely of the pair to start things.)

"Well it's a start. As much as I would love to just keep you here all day and stay in bed, I know that you prefer to be more…productive." The older ninja states.

"You and me in the bed, could be productive." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Progress! Yes, progress! Sasuke was now teasing him in a seductive way. If this kept up, maybe they'd do more than just cuddle on that bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I really feel like that this story/pairing is starting to get a bit more attention than before. I adore some of the more obvious pairings, but I hope that more unconventional pairings start to show up more. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

The next morning, Sasuke was rather comfortable. He burrows into the warmth next to him and sighs in contentment. His mind was slowly waking up, but his body was feeling far too comfortable to seriously contemplate getting up.

"Sasuke." Jugo calls out softly, trying to rouse his companion.

"Mmm?" Came the sleepy reply and the other member of Taka shakes his head in amusement.

"Sasuke, if you don't want to be late for your first day of teaching, so you probably should get up." Jugo says.

The last Uchiha frowns. His brows furrow. Damn it. Why did classes have to start so fucking early? Seriously, it would make more sense to wait until the afternoon to start teaching. The students couldn't possibly enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn anymore than he did.

"Kakashi was always late, so I don't think the Leaf cares too much if its teachers are punctual." Sasuke murmurs.

Jugo shakes his head. He smiles and decides to wake Sasuke up in a more sneaky way. He glides his hand over the curve of Sasuke's hip and over his crotch.

That causes Sasuke's eyes to fly open immediately. Jugo tries to hide his smirk. A potential hand job was one very effective way of waking up a sleepy Uchiha.

"That would DEFINTELY make me late for class." Sasuke practically purrs at Jugo as he kisses him.

The gentle giant returns the kiss with a smile. It was nice to know that Sasuke enjoyed their intimacy. He enjoyed it enough to be late for work. That was saying something because the last Uchiha was a very punctual individual by nature.

"Just late? I think that we would end up forsaking our duties completely for the rest of the day." Jugo muses.

"That's also possible. Still I guess I should get going. It's important to teach them the proper way to handle a kunai." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"That's true and you are VERY good at handling kunais. So they will be learning from the best." Jugo teases him.

Sasuke wasn't an idiot. He didn't miss the very obvious innuendo in there. He just didn't really know how to respond to it. Jugo normally was a very genteel "lover." He had never actually heard the other man make a dirty joke before.

Of course he was using the word lover rather loosely. They hadn't actually had sex. Though Jugo was making it increasingly clear that he very much would be interested in becoming official lovers.

"Damn right, I am. I'll see you later." Sasuke says as he grabs his uniform and heads towards the bathroom.

He would change quickly and be on his way. Seriously, why did the Academy have to start at eight in the fucking morning? That meant he had to get up at least by 7:30. He decides he should see if he couldn't convince Tsunade to push back the starting time.

It really would be better for everyone involved. Sasuke was not a morning person. Putting him around innocent children this early in the morning was just a recipe for disaster.

"Good morning, Sasuke." Iruka says a few minutes later when the raven haired ninja comes walking into his classroom.

"Morning." He says simply.

He really didn't know how to react to Iruka. Iruka had been his teacher at a time when he was still relatively innocent. He might have wanted revenge against Itachi, but his hands were still clean. His world view had been entirely black and white. Now it was just infinite shades of gray.

"I have to admit that I never would have thought you would be interested in becoming a teacher. You were always a gifted student, but for the most part you were not particularly social." He muses.

Hmm that was interesting. Iruka was actually going to try this. He was going to try to treat Sasuke like he was just another ninja. The other man didn't appear to be afraid of him. Of course it was possible that he just had a good poker face.

"I was surprised that Tsunade suggested it. Still it's better than conducting low level missions until I prove myself." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Ah I see. So it isn't so much that you have an interest in teaching as the fact that you are bored. I suppose that makes more sense. Do you have preference for which age group you want to work with?" He asks.

"Not really. I haven't really interacted that much with children." The last Uchiha admits.

Iruka nods in understanding. Hmm well the older children would realize who he was. That could be a good or a bad thing. Perhaps it was best to stick him with the younger students for now?

"How about we try to place you with the youngest class and see how it goes?" He asks.

"Fine by me. Like I said, I don't really have much experience with kids. If I'm not good at teaching, this was Tsunade's idea. Not mine." Sasuke insists.

The older ninja chuckles. Well Sasuke appeared to be in reasonably good spirits at the moment. He could only hope it would last. Innocent children should not be subjected to the fearsome temper of the last Uchiha.

"Duly noted. Besides, you want to restore your Clan. Think of this as practice." He offers.

"I guess that's one way to look at it. When are they supposed to be arriving?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh right about now, actually." Iruka says as a stampede of young children rush into the classroom exactly one minute before the bell rang.

Sasuke blinks. They were definitely punctual little things. He had to give them that much. At least he wouldn't have to teach them how to tell time.

"Class, this is Sasuke Uchiha. He is going to be assisting me with your lessons for the time being. I want you to treat him EXACTLY as you would treat me." Iruka says with a smile.

Instantly a paper plane is thrown at Sasuke. Sasuke catches it and raises an eyebrow before it could land. There was a Naruto in every generation, it seemed.

"I wouldn't say, exactly like you." Sasuke says as he sets fire to the paper plane and it turns to ash in his hand.

All the students look at him in awe. Sasuke blinks. Oh right. They were really young. Fire jutsus were impressive to them.

"Well as you can see, one of his natural chakra natures is fire. Today, we will be discussing the basic chakra nature types." Iruka says, trying to get his class to stop staring at Sasuke.

Yeah. That wasn't going to work. Perhaps the last Uchiha should have seen that one coming. God knows he had been in awe of his father, the first time he saw him use a fireball jutsu. Fire was apparently universally fascinating to children, no matter the era.

The rest of the day passes without incident. Occasionally, Iruka would ask Sasuke to demonstrate another chakra nature type. The youngest Uchiha didn't mind doing this. It was amusing to see the wide eyed expressions of the kids. They were really easy to impress.

The bell rings and the children scamper off. Sasuke had to give them this much. Damn they were fast.

"There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Iruka asks Sasuke.

"Iruka, don't patronize me. You sound like a medic that just gave a child a shot. It was fine. I guess it's better than doing whatever menial tasks Tsunade would have dreamt up for me otherwise." He says with a shrug.

Iruka nods. He takes out some papers. He hands Sasuke a stack of them. The last Uchiha raises an eyebrow as if to ask what the teacher wanted him to do.

"Those are just multiple choice tests. I would give you an answer key, but I'd be shocked if you didn't already know the answers." The gentle ninja says.

"Alright. Got it." Sasuke says with a sigh as he starts going through the papers.

Well he supposed it was something to do at least. Granted, grading papers was not exactly exciting or glamorous. Still it could have been worse. After about an hour and they had finally graded all the papers.

"Thanks. You saved me at least an hour of grading. It can get a bit tedious after awhile, but the job itself is very rewarding. I hope you do give it a real chance." He says.

"I'll think about it." He mutters as he heads home.

Meanwhile Naruto was in the Uchiha District with Jugo. The blonde couldn't help but be curious. Sasuke was fucking dating someone. That was just unbelievable. He snickers as he remembers how Sasuke told him.

 _"Naruto, don't be an idiot about this. I'm just telling you because I don't want to deal with you being annoying, if you find out from someone else." Sasuke said one day._

 _Well that certainly got Naruto's attention. The blonde couldn't help but wonder what would elicit that reaction from his friend. He nodded his head encouragingly._

 _"Alright. I'm listening. What's the big deal?" The blue eyed ninja asked._

 _"You remember how I told you that I preferred men?" The last Uchiha ventured cautiously._

 _"Yeah. I remember. Fuck. No way! Look Sasuke, I love you like a brother and all, but I'm not IN love with you. I love you, but just as a friend. I'm totally cool with you liking men and all, but I like women. I'm sorry." Naruto stammered in a rush._

 _Sasuke twitched. He smacked Naruto upside the head for that one. In hindsight, the hyper ninja mused he probably should have seen that one coming._

 _"You are an idiot. I'm not in love with you. I don't go for dumb blondes." He muttered in irritation._

 _"Hey! I'm not dumb! Pft. I guess it's just as well. You couldn't handle my sexiness, even if I was gay. So what's the big secret?" His friend demanded._

 _The raven haired ninja sighed. He shook his head. Clearly, Sasuke's patience was wearing thin and fast._

 _"Yes, you are a dumb blonde. No, I'm not in love with you. I am…with someone though." He continued._

 _Sasuke wasn't really sure how to describe his relationship with the gentle giant. Dating seemed too tame. They weren't married or lovers though. He supposed a generic,_ _ **"I'm with someone,"**_ _would have to do the trick._

 _"Really? Who is the guy that pulled that stick out of your ass? Well maybe I should say who is shoving HIS stick up your ass." Naruto asked happily and Sasuke smacked him._

 _"You are such an idiot. I don't know why you are assuming that I would bottom. Anyway, it's Jugo."" The raven haired man informed Naruto._

 _The blonde blinked. He was trying to figure out how that physically worked. Just from a mechanical perspective, it was kinda hard to process._

 _"Oh. Didn't see that one coming. I probably should have though. Well he seems nice, when he's not in the middle of a homicidal rage anyway. But since you calm him down somehow, I guess that's not a problem!" The blonde said brightly._

 _Sasuke just shook his head. Honestly, it was as if Naruto had absolutely no filter. He didn't even know what to say to that._

 _"Yeah. He is. So don't make a big deal out of it. We are still trying to figure everything out." He muttered._

 _"You mean you haven't decided who is throwing the kunai and who is catching it yet?" The boisterous ninja asked with a grin._

 _Sasuke smacked his forehead. Sometimes he wondered why he had to be surrounded by so many idiots. He knew that Naruto was just teasing, still it was important to teach him a lesson._

 _"Oh that's it! CHIDORI!" Sasuke yelled and charged at his friend, who swiftly dodged._

 _It had devolved into quite the epic training session. The two friends spent hours tearing into each other. To anyone else, it would have been lethal combat. To them, it was just playing. That was just how Sasuke and Naruto communicated, through their fists._

"So how are things going with you and the bastard?" Naruto asks curiously.

If anyone else had called Sasuke a bastard, Jugo would probably have gone into a rage. This was Naruto though. Apparently, the last Uchiha and bubbly blonde expressed their friendship through insults. The large orange haired man honestly didn't get it for the life of him, but at least he knew that Naruto was only joking around.

"Good. I think that we are making real progress." Jugo says happily.

"That's good. Well I'm glad he found someone. It's not healthy to be alone all the time." Naruto says.

Karin and Suigetsu had stopped by to visit. The two of them were ease dropping on the conversation. Both of them were eager to find out who had won their bet. If Jugo was talking to Naruto about his relationship with Sasuke, that meant they might find out!

"Naruto, if you don't stop trying to psychoanalyze me, I'm going to kick your ass." Sasuke says as he walks into the kitchen.

"I wasn't trying to psychoanalyze you! I was just trying to make sure that my best friend is happy. That's all!" Naruto protests.

Sasuke merely shakes his head. He knew that Naruto meant well. He was just being nosey. It was harmless, but he couldn't let the other man off the hook too easily. If you gave Naruto an inch, he would take a mile.

"I am very happy." Sasuke says and smiles when Jugo wraps his arms around him.

The boisterous ninja almost did a double take. It was just so weird. Yeah, he knew that they were together in theory, but seeing it was something else. He couldn't believe that Sasuke was actually allowing someone to touch him and seemed happy about it.

"Well that's good. I guess I should probably get going. Granny Tsunade, is going to want to see me. She's training me to become Hokage someday!" He chimes merrily.

"God help us all, when your stupid ass is in charge of this village." Sasuke says in a way that he knew would provoke the blonde.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?! YOU ARE SUCH A BASTARD! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO AND SAY STUFF LIKE THAT?!" Naruto demands and twitches.

Sasuke smirks. It really was too easy to rile up Naruto sometimes. That didn't make it any less enjoyable though.

Jugo shakes his head. He knew exactly what Sasuke was doing. He was trying to get a rise out of Naruto and succeeding. Still in the interest of ensuring that the house stayed in one piece, he decides that it would be best if he stepped in.

"He's just teasing you. I'm sure that Sasuke knows that you will be an excellent Hokage someday." He offers.

"Thanks, Jugo! You sure you want to be with this bastard? You are way too nice for his Royal Prissyness." The blue eyed ninja asks.

It was Sasuke's turn to twitch. He didn't know what pissed him off more, the nickname or the implication. The hyper ninja was just begging for a beating. Sasuke was suddenly in the mood to give it to him.

Karin sighs. She could see where this was going from a mile away. It looked like it was up to her to prevent a major disaster.

"Naruto, you said that Lady Tsunade is waiting for you. You should get going. It's probably not a good idea to keep that woman waiting. She has a temper." His relative reminds him.

"Yeah. You're right. Got it. Sasuke being a bastard just distracted me. You would think that I'd be used to it by now, but he keeps coming up with new ways to be a jerk." Naruto says cheerfully as he bounds off.

Suigetsu blinks as he watches the blonde leave. That was one strange ninja. Actually, most Leaf Villagers were strange to him. That was certainly saying something because he was far from normal himself.

"This is one weird village." He says.

"You got that right." Sasuke agrees with a nod at his friend's very accurate assessment.

"So how did it go at the Academy?" Karin asks.

Sasuke pauses as he considers how to respond to that question. It went pretty well. Honestly, it had gone better than he expected. Long-term though, he didn't see himself as being an Academy instructor.

"It went alright. The kids are ridiculously easy to impress. Throw a fireball and they suddenly look at you like you are a God." Sasuke notes in amusement.

"Oh boy. That won't end well. The last thing we need is for someone to stroke your ego some more." The sword lover observes.

Sasuke gives Suigetsu a dirty look for that comment. Sometimes he wondered if everyone in this village wanted a beating other than Jugo and Itachi. It really was starting to look that way.

"Arf! Glad you are home! Arf!" Itachi says as he comes bounding into the kitchen, skidding to a halt by Sasuke's legs.

"You just want your biscuits." Sasuke says and tosses the puppy one of them.

"Like biscuits and Master Sasuke." He says and gobbles up his treat quickly.

Sasuke briefly wondered if that dog even tasted the food. He practically inhaled it. He shrugs and decides it didn't matter.

"Well I talked to Tsunade today. She's going to let me become a medic. Thankfully, I'm not going to be a chew toy, unless someone's life is on the line." She states.

"Well that's good news." Sasuke replies and she nods.

"Eh I signed up for combat duty. I'll get bored, if I sit around and do nothing all day for too long." Suigetsu says with a shrug.

Sasuke smirks. That sounded like Suigetsu. Yes, it was probably better for everyone involved, if the other man had something to keep him busy.

Team Taka eats dinner together. Mostly because Karin and Suigesu couldn't cook to save their lives. Somehow the team of former S Class Criminal Ninjas managed not to get into another fight during dinner. This may have had something to do with Itachi looking rather adorable as he begged for table scraps though.

"Well it's kinda late. I still got to set up my place some more. Cya." Suigetsu says as he walks off.

"He's so ungrateful. The least he could do is thank you for making us such a great dinner." She grumbles.

Sasuke shrugs. It was Suigetsu. She didn't seriously expect the Murder Prodigy to say please and thank you, did she? Oh wait, she did. That was hilarious.

"It's fine, Karin. Good night." Jugo says kindly and the red head makes her own departure.

"I'm glad that it went well." Jugo says.

"Mhm. I guess it'll work for now. I didn't hate it, but I just wasn't really designed for a desk job." Sasuke admits.

Jugo nods. He definitely wasn't designed for a desk job, not with a body like that. Well at least things were settling down for Sasuke. He was pretty sure that if Tsunade asked him to chase stray cats again, the last Uchiha would probably Chidori her. So teaching would have to work for now.

"What was that look for?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh I was just thinking, you are right. You definitely aren't suited for a desk job. Not with a body like that. Though you would look rather nice bent over one." He replies casually and Sasuke blinks.

He didn't know how to react to that. Jugo had rarely spoken to him in such a direct fashion before. Yes, they had bathed together and they had been somewhat intimate with each other. But Jugo had always been rather gentlemanly about the whole thing. So it was something of a shock to hear him be so…well blunt.

"I think you might have spent a bit too much time around Kakashi." Sasuke muses as he leans up and kisses his gentle giant.

Jugo smiles and eagerly returns the kiss. He couldn't resist grabbing Sasuke's ass. It was becoming apparent that Sasuke just wasn't the type to initiate things, so he would have to do it.

The other member of Taka didn't mind this. He wasn't sure why Sasuke was being "shy." Maybe it was because this was his first relationship. Maybe he just was having a hard time trusting someone enough to actually be fully intimate with them. Hell, it could even just be that Sasuke preferred being chased. Who knew what the real reason was?

"I try not to make a habit of it. I don't really like it when people meddle like that. No, that was just purely my thought without any outside influence." He murmurs and caresses Sasuke's cheek.

"Good to know." Sasuke replies with a cocky smirk.

"I'm just saying that I think we could make good use of your desk." Jugo growls at him lustfully as he sets about his new task of marking up the other man's neck.

Sasuke closes his eyes and sighs softly in contentment. God that felt good. Idly, he wondered what it was about necking that felt so incredible. Actually, that desk idea was starting to sound really tempting right now.

"Mmm maybe we can sneak in after hours. Iruka gave me a key." Sasuke says as he runs his fingers through Jugo's orange locks.

"Sounds good to me. So do those little moans you are making." He states as he bites down lightly.

"F-uck." Sasuke groans in pleasure and arches into his almost lover.

Jugo smiles. He lets Sasuke get off of the wall and heads up the stairs with him towards the bed. Ninja speed could be very useful sometimes, like now for instance.

Otherwise how else would he get Sasuke on his back, so quickly? Jugo smiles down at cage and kisses him hotly. Sasuke returned the kiss with equal passion and wraps his legs around Jugo's waist. Both groan when their clothed erections brush against each other.

"I think you might be onto something about the desk. Though I think you should be the one bent over it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"We'll see you. Though shields are generally placed on top." He tells him and Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that implied challenge.

Jugo referred to himself as Sasuke's shield. Clearly, the gentle giant was trying to imply that he wanted to be the dominant lover. How insistent he would be on that, Sasuke wasn't sure. But he suspected that he would find out soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry this one is late. I got caught up in some other stories. I have some new ones up. Check them out if you are interested. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** It's lemonade time. Warnings will be put up before and after. So you can skip it, if you prefer a more innocent love story. Conversely, if you have been waiting for your lemonade, you'll be able to spot it easier ;).There is also some swearing and naughty descriptions here and there.

Chapter 12

"Shields go on top, huh?" Sasuke asks and Jugo nods.

"It wouldn't make much sense to put them underneath you. They offer less protection that way." The other member of Taka reasons.

Sasuke had to concede that if they were talking about actual shields, that was a very good point. Still his pride wasn't going to allow him to give up so easily. The last Uchiha wasn't going to allow Jugo to think he was some kind of pushover.

"That would be true, if we were talking about real shields and not speaking metaphorically." Sasuke says smugly as he pins Jugo underneath him.

That was better. If there was one thing Sasuke knew, it was that he liked being in control. It was safer that way. He wasn't the type of person that liked to leave anything for chance.

"I'm not opposed to letting you take the reigns, but would you know how to use them?" Jugo asks as he smiles up at Sasuke.

If anyone else had said that, Sasuke was feel insulted. He probably would have fired off a Chidori. But this was Jugo. Jugo never insulted him.

"I think I can figure it out." Sasuke says as he leaves a trail of feather light kisses along the column of Jugo's throat and slides his hands underneath the other man's shirt.

Jugo sighs in contentment and runs his fingers through Sasuke's dark spiky locks. That felt nice. He'd humor him. For someone like Sasuke, almost everything was a battle. That apparently extended to carnal activities.

"Such an eager student." The other ninja observes.

"How many teacher puns do you have?" Sasuke asks as he glides his hands over the muscular planes of Jugo's still clothed chest.

"I'm just getting started actually." He answers.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. Perhaps he should start making some vet puns. It was hard to continue "laughing" though. He could feel the strength of his almost lover's muscles underneath his fingertips.

The last Uchiha had never been shy about his body. He'd never really felt the need to compare himself to others in that respect. He certainly didn't consider himself small in build or in other more important areas.

Jugo's build was just massive. He really was exactly what he called himself. A shield. A really, strong shield with some rather nice abs and biceps.

"I'm the teacher. Not the student. Which means you have to do what I say. You're wearing too many clothes. You should fix that." Sasuke states smugly.

Jugo quietly laughs. He slips out from underneath Sasuke and hops off the bed. The gentle giant begins slowly sliding his shirt over his head.

Sasuke watches curiously. Jugo was almost certain that the Uchiha had never gotten an intentional strip tease before. Surely, he had walked in on some _interesting_ activities in the Sound Village, but he hadn't participated. So there was a difference.

"I suppose that's true. Do I get a gold star, if I do a good job?" He asks.

"No. But if you do a good job, I might give you something even better." The raven haired ninja replies.

The Leaf Villager continues his observations as Jugo finally slides that damn shirt all the way off. He felt himself unconsciously lick his lips. To say that his significant other was well sculpted would be an understatement. He felt almost jealous really.

He couldn't help but compare Jugo to women. They had just never excited Sasuke. They were too soft. Jugo was anything but. He was all solid muscle and judging by the impressive bulge in his pants, that hardness extended to other areas. It looked like Jugo enjoyed teasing him, as much as Sasuke enjoyed the show.

"What could possibly be better than a gold star?" He asks.

"If I told you, that would ruin all the fun." Sasuke answers him with a smirk as he gets off the bed and saunters over to his soon to be lover.

Jugo idly noted that Sasuke was a very good sauntered. There was something very graceful, sensual, and predatory about the way Sasuke moved. It still reminded him of a big cat.

"Yes, I suppose you're right about that." Jugo admits.

"Of course, I'm right. That's why I'm the teacher and you're the student." Sasuke informs him in a cocky fashion and kisses Jugo as he reaches for the waistband of the other man's pants.

 **Warning Lemon**

Jugo kisses back. He smiles into it as he yanks off Sasuke's Jonin vest. It didn't take long for him to do the same to his shirt. There was a tearing sound that was heard as he did so.

That causes Sasuke to break the kiss and look down. Jugo had accidentally torn the poor, innocent article of clothing in half. Sasuke shakes his head.

"You owe me a new shirt." He says as he pushes Jugo on the bed and kicks off his pants.

The two of them were clad only in their boxers as the last Uchiha straddles his waist. Jugo knew that in the end, the shield always went on top. But he wasn't going to argue with the view.

"Somehow I doubt that the Leaf's population would protest that much if you were to walk around shirtless all the time. Though I imagine it would be particularly distracting for the older female Academy students." He muses as he tugs off Sasuke's boxers.

"That's the last thing I need. A bunch of preteen girls staring at me all day and giggling. I had enough of that when I was actually in the Academy." Sasuke scoffs.

"I'll have to remember not to giggle. It seems to annoy you a great deal." The orange haired man observes as he glides his hands over the firm curve of Sasuke's ass.

He briefly contemplates destroying all of Sasuke's clothes. He could just have his lover prance about naked. He doubted Itachi would mind. Then again if Karin, Suigetsu, or Naruto visited that would be rather awkward to explain. So he quickly dismisses that idea.

"I appreciate it." Sasuke murmurs as he covers his lover's chest in kisses, licks, and love bites.

The last Uchiha would never admit this out loud, but he wasn't exactly sure what he would do once he got beyond the point of foreplay. He decided that didn't really matter. Jugo seemed to be enjoying it, if the way his kunai was twitching underneath his boxers was any indication.

Feeling emboldened by this discovery, Sasuke sets about getting rid of those pesky boxers. With his teeth. He grabs the edge of it between his teeth and slowly pulls them down.

"You really can be an evil tease sometimes. Having your mouth that close to me, is very evil. Well if you don't intend to finish the job, that is." He says.

"I intend to finish it." Sauske informs him.

That was new. Jugo had always thought that oral sex would be more submissive of a sexual act than his Cage would ever be comfortable with. He could see that while Sasuke appeared willing, he was also a bit unsure of how to actually follow through with that promise.

"Here. I'll show you. Everyone is a little different about what they like best. But honestly, as long as you don't bite down hard and suck, most men aren't going to complain." Jugo says as he flips them.

Sasuke felt his face heat up slightly. Had he really been that obvious? Maybe Jugo just knew him well enough to tell when he was hesitating.

It wasn't that he didn't want to. Jugo was probably the only person that he would ever even consider doing THAT for. Unfortunately, while he understood the theory, doing it in reality was something else entirely.

"If you want to suck me off, I'm not going to argue. But I did know what to do." Sasuke protests.

"Of course, you did." His lover states in amusement as he moves down slightly and takes the tip into his mouth.

Sasuke groans and bucks when he felt Jugo's hot, wet mouth wrapped around the tip of his cock. Fuck! That felt so good and he was barely doing anything.

Jugo smirks at that reaction. Yes, he was certain that the last Uchiha understood his point now. He lavishes him with his tongue and sucks gently, while ensuring that his lips brushed against the sensitive flesh to create a wickedly seductive contrast.

"Fuck! P-oint taken." Sasuke growls in pleasure and runs his fingers through his lover's hair, as he desperately tries not to fuck his throat raw.

He sucks harder and takes more of his lover into his mouth. Unlike Sasuke, he actually did have some experience. Jugo didn't mind using this to his advantage.

Sasuke arches against the bed helplessly. He knew that he was saying something, but he couldn't be bothered to make out the words. It felt too fucking good to worry about well anything. He was so close.

"Jugo! Fuck! Don't stop!" He pants out as he felt his orgasm barreling towards him.

That was when Jugo deep throated him and Sasuke lost it. He came hard and with a roar. His body just wasn't used to that type of sensual stimulation and he couldn't have held back, even if he tried.

"There now, you know how it's done." Jugo says after he releases Sasuke from his mouth.

Sasuke pulls him down for a hot, needy kiss. His entire body felt awash in a wonderfully deliriously good feeling. Having Jugo play with his dick with his hand until he got off felt good, but it was nothing compared to THAT.

Jugo smiles and kisses back. He was a bit surprised that Sasuke was so willing to kiss him. He had always imagined the last Uchiha was being a bit more fussy about that sort of thing. After all, he knew where Jugo's mouth had just been. Apparently, that wasn't the case though.

"Mmm I think I get the idea now." Sasuke says as he breaks the kiss and rolls them over.

Sasuke was now on top and moves down until he was face level with Jugo's own arousal. He blinks. The last Uchiha was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to take all of Jugo into his mouth, but he figures that it didn't matter. He shivers as he remembers how good just having Jugo's mouth wrapped around a little bit of him felt. Sasuke decides it would likely be very similar with Jugo and mimics Jugo's earlier actions.

"I knew you were a fast learner." Jugo groans as he praises Sasuke and sucks on his fingers.

Sasuke was too distracted by his current task to realize what Jugo was doing. He smirks when he heard the praise though. The raven haired ninja quickly starts licking his lover and sucking gently. Slowly, he begins to take more and more of Jugo into his mouth. He stops about halfway and then begins sucking more vigorously.

Jugo moans. Damn Sasuke was a quick study. He had never seen someone master oral so quickly. He felt a rush of white hot desire race through his veins and wills himself to still his hips. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally choke Sasuke.

"You don't have to hold back." Sauke murmurs around his cock.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to." Jugo informs him and sucks extra hard on his fingers.

It didn't take Jugo to nudge Sasuke away from his arousal. It took all his self-control not to just let the Uchiha suck him off until he spilled his release. Still he wanted this to last longer, so he knew he had to do it.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

"Nothing. Everything is perfect. A little too perfect actually. When I cum, I want it to be inside you." Jugo growls at his new lover lustfully and pushes Sauke until he was laying on his stomach.

"I thought we had established that I was topping." Sasuke squirms.

"No, we established that shields generally go on top. If it makes you feel better, I do view it was negotiable. This is your first time. You should relax and let me take care of you. Alright?" He growls lustfully into Sasuke's ear which earns a shiver from the last Uchiha.

Sasuke probably would have Chidoried anyone else that suggested he should bottom. Jugo was different though. The fact that he was really aroused probably had something to do with it as well.

"Alright. But you had better make it worth it and next time, I am in charge." He mutters.

"Deal. This is likely going to feel uncomfortable at first, but it does get better. Much better." He promises as he slowly parts Sasuke's legs and slides a single digit inside his new lover.

Sasuke thrashes slightly against the bed. Jugo was right. It did feel uncomfortable. He wouldn't use the word painful exactly, but it was definitely an odd sensation.

"Just relax." Jugo instructs him as he places soft kisses along the back of Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke sighs in contentment at this affectionate gesture. His neck had always been one of his spots. Apparently, Jugo knew this and wasn't afraid to use it to his advantage at all.

"Mmm okay." He murmurs.

Jugo smiles and continues showering Sasuke's neck and back with kisses as he moves his finger inside the other man. Damn. Sasuke was tight. He had always known that Sasuke was tightly wound, but this was insanity.

"That's better." He states as he adds another digit and uses his other hand to give his lover a sensual back rub.

Sasuke squirms. That bordered on pain. Still it was hard to focus on that, when he was getting a nice massage. He knew enough about sex to realize that it was a damn good thing that Jugo was being as…considerate as he was being. It would have hurt like Hell otherwise.

"I love you. I would have killed anyone else who tried to do this." Sasuke informs him.

"I love you too and I know." Jugo says as he moves his fingers inside him faster, stretching him, and searches for that spot.

After a few minutes, he finds it. He hears Sasuke moans and smirks. Finally. Now things would be much better.

"Th-at felt good." Sasuke pants out.

Jugo makes sure to hit that spot a few more times before retracting his fingers. He smiles and nudges Sasuke so that he was on his hands and knees. Yes, he definitely understood why Naruto had been so obsessed with chasing Sasuke's ass. It was a very nicely shaped one.

"If you want me to stop, just tell me." He says as he slowly buries himself inside his lover.

Sasuke gasps and bucks back against Jugo. It didn't hurt. But he didn't know how to classify this feeling exactly. He'd never felt so _full._

Jugo wasn't having nearly as much difficulty in understanding what he was feeling. He felt _incredible._ Sasuke was so fucking hot and tight. He almost came just from entering him.

"You feels so fucking good." Jugo growls out in approval and Sasuke feels himself shiver at the animalistic tone.

"You can move now. I'm not going to break." Sasuke taunts him.

That was all the permission that Jugo needed. The gentle giant soon begins moving inside his new lover at a slow, sensual pace as he strokes Sasuke's arousal. Sasuke moans and arches into Jugo's touch.

There was something very reassuring about feeling the warmth of Jugo's skin over his and his scent. Any sense of awkwardness about having such a large kunai shoved inside him, was masked by the erotic feeling of Jugo playing with his dick.

"Good to know." The other member of Taka says as he bites down lightly on Sasuke's neck and begins to claim the man underneath him faster.

That's when Sasuke moans. Jugo had found that spot inside him again. The one that felt so fucking _good_ when it was touched.

Sasuke's moans were music to his ears. The sight of his ivory pale skin underneath him, his scent, and the gorgeous sounds that his lover could make all blended together in an irresistible combination. Soon Jugo wasn't making love, so much as thoroughly claiming the last Uchiha in a rather animalistic fashion.

"Fuck!" Sasuke hisses in pleasure as he arches back against the other ninja.

He groans when his spot is hit over and over again. Jugo's large hands were holding him down firmly. Sasuke wasn't going anywhere. Not that he wanted to, when he was being fucked in such a wonderfully hard and fast fashion.

The two were soon moving as one. Sasuke bucks back against his lover desperately and Jugo slams into his lover with a reckless abandonment. The bed's durability was being tested as the raven haired ninja was pushed hard against it.

"Sasuke!" Jugo snarls out in pleasure as he spills his release deep inside the other man.

Sasuke was grateful the pillows and silky blankets. Otherwise, he was damn sure he would have gotten bruises. Though it would have been worth it. So very fucking worth it.

That was all it took to send Sasuke over the edge. He soon joins his significant other in bliss. He swore he almost saw stars because he came that hard.

Jugo slowly slides out of him. He quickly turns Sasuke around so that the other man was laying on his side. The giant gentle does likewise and curls up against him. He wraps his arms around the raven haired ninja and throws the blankets over them protectively, before indulging in some cuddling.

 **End of Lemon**

"We should have done that sooner." Sasuke murmurs as he curls up further into Jugo's arms.

"Yes, we should have. Well better late than never." He says as he kisses Sasuke's cheek and strokes his arms.

Sasuke nods and closes his eyes in contentment. He was pretty sure that his ass was going to be sore later on, but it was worth it. The last Uchiha was still going to top, but bottoming had been unexpectedly… _enjoyable._

"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me?" Jugo asks.

"I wouldn't have said it, if I didn't mean it." Sasuke replies and slowly begins to drift off to sleep.

What they didn't realize was that they had an audience. Itachi had heard moaning and went to investigate. He thought maybe his Masters were hurt. What he saw was the opposite.

"Maybe they are trying for puppies." He says.

The canine darts off. He doubted that his Masters would be too happy with him, if they thought he was spying on their Mating. Besides, he had really important things to do.

Master Suigetsu and Mistress Karin had a bet going on. He should help them end it. It looked like Suigetsu had won though. Jugo was top dog that time.

"Arf! Arf!" Itachi says as he paws at the door of the sword lover's house.

It didn't take Suigetsu long to open it. He blinks when he saw the ninja puppy standing at his door. He raises an eyebrow.

"Hey, Itachi. What do you want?" Suigetsu asks as he leans down and gives Itachi an ear rub.

Itachi liked ear rubs. He liked them almost as much as he liked belly rubs. His tail wags happily and he thumps his leg to show his pleasure.

"I know who the top dog was! Well this time. It looks like they are going to change back and forth. So you both sorta won the bet." Itachi says proudly.

Suigetsu blinks. The dog had walked in on Jugo and Sasuke. Then he smirks. He won the bet. Ha. Take that Karin!

"Whose a good boy?" The white haired man asks as he rubs Itachi's belly.

"I am!" Itachi says excitedly and enjoys his belly rub.

"That's right. Well I'm going to tell Karin. Ha. I can't wait to rub this in her face. Don't worry. I won't tell Jugo and Sasuke that you accidentally walked in on them." He promises as he races off to find Karin.

This was going to be great. Suigetsu couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she realized that Sasuke bottomed. Even though it looked like they were going to be switching it up, he still thought he won the bet.

He knocks on the door. Karin opens it and raises an eyebrow when she sees Suigetsu. She couldn't help but wonder what the water lover could want at this hour.

"What's going on? Is the Leaf under attack?" The red head asks.

"No. The Leaf isn't under attack. Itachi got an eyeful. I know who won our bet. I won. Jugo topped. Itachi says they are going to be changing back and forth though. But I still won. So pay up." The violet eyed man says brightly.

Karin blinks. She couldn't believe that Sasuke had actually bottomed. The foreign ninja didn't see that one coming.

"Oh alright. It's not like Itachi would lie about well anything. He's a puppy." She grumbles and pays up.

"Ha. I told you so. Maybe this will finally dislodge the giant stick shoved up Sasuke's ass. You know, by shoving another big stick up there." Suigetsu says brightly.

Karin twitches. Honestly, Suigetsu could be so crude sometimes. She does what any woman would do in her situation. She smacks Suigetsu for being a pervert.

"OWE! What the fuck was that for?!" He hisses as he rubs the rapidly forming bump on his head.

"For being a pervert. Honestly, were you raised in a barn? You have absolutely no manners at all. Don't tell about them like that. Show some respect. Besides, you don't want to set a bad example for Itachi." She growls at him.

Suigetsu just gapes at Karin. He couldn't believe that she was actually lecturing him because she was worried the dog might pick up bad habits from him. That was ridiculous.

"You are crazy as fuck. No wonder Sasuke decided he preferred guys." He mutters.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!" She demands and Suigetsu gulps.

The water user takes off running. His only hope of avoiding a brutal beating was if he could out run her. Damn. She really was crazy!


	13. Chapter 13

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the lemon. I have some new stories up, if anyone is interested. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not sure if Jugo went to an Academy. I'm assuming he didn't though. It would have been very dangerous for the other kids, if he had.

Chapter 13

A few days later, Sasuke was quite content. He was currently lounging on the couch, laying next to Jugo. They were watching some movie. Sasuke couldn't be bothered to remember the name.

Jugo was behind him and they were curled up together. Sasuke's eyes were half closed in contentment. His lover was caressing him and giving him informal massages. He was completely relaxed.

"So how are things going at the Academy?" Jugo asks as he slides his hand underneath Sasuke's shirt and caresses his abs.

"Not bad. Mostly the kids want to learn how to make fireballs and are trying to cut each other's eyes out with kunais. I remember those days. It's really a miracle that we have had zero fatalities thus far in the Academy's history, when you think about it." He muses.

Jugo nods. He made no real comment on it though. He had never really had a chance to go to an Academy. His rages meant that it would have been too dangerous for him to be around other children.

"Zero fatalities is a very good thing in this instance." Jugo replies as he places a kiss to Sasuke's neck.

"Fuck. I'm sorry. I forgot. You never went to an Academy, did you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw that in your face." Sasuke says.

"I didn't go, but it's alright. I can hardly begrudge you the few happy childhood memories that you do have. It doesn't matter anyway. Though I did want to talk to you about that." The gentle giant replies.

Sasuke turns around and raises an eyebrow. Talk to him about what? About the Academy? That didn't make any sense.

"What do you mean?" The last Uchiha dares himself to ask.

"Well about the subject of children in general. I know that you want to restore your Clan, but I can't really help you do that." He says.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't really been thinking about that much since he and Jugo became involved. He was right though. Two men just couldn't make a baby together. The closest they could come was surrogacy.

"It's alright. I got into this relationship knowing that. I just figured that eventually, we'd use surrogates." Sasuke admits.

"Even if one of us was a woman, it wouldn't be a good idea for me to have any biological children. They might inherit my rages. I don't want to put a kid through that. Surrogacy is the best option, realistically." Jugo says.

Sasuke sighs. He places a kiss against his lover's forehead. Logically, he knew that Jugo was right. It was at best a fifty/fifty shot if any of his children would inherit his rages. Still it was sad to hear that. Jugo was a very loving and gentle person most of the time. It wasn't his fault that biology had dealt him an unusual hand.

"I'm sorry. I suppose it doesn't really matter if their yours by blood or not. When I choose to revive my Clan, as far as I'm concerned you are their second father. It doesn't matter who carries them or who sires them. Family is about more than just blood." Sasuke tells him.

"You are very kind when you want to be." Jugo muses.

"Only for you and don't you dare tell the loser. He'd never let me live it down." Sasuke mutters and Jugo laughs.

The orange haired man pauses for a moment and Sasuke tilts his head to the side curiously. He could tell that there was something else on his lover's mind. Something important.

"I was thinking that maybe we could ask Karin, if she would be willing to be our surrogate or at least one of them. We know her. We can trust her. That way the biological mother could be in the child or children's lives. Plus she does have her healing and sensory abilities. Those could be useful if they were passed on." Jugo says.

"You wouldn't be concerned about her trying to use the child as a way to get closer to me?" Sasuke asks with a raised eyebrow.

He wasn't sure if he would be nearly as trusting in Jugo's position. It was clear that Karin had a thing for him. Hell, she still might have a thing for him. She wasn't a bad person, but she could be a little obsessive.

"Oh she might try something, but I'm not worried. I don't have a reason to be jealous." The gentle giant insists.

"That's good to hear." Sasuke says as he kisses Jugo.

Jugo returns it. Sasuke felt his hands wrap for his ass. Ever since they became lovers, Jugo was a bit more…assertive when it come to touching him. Sauske didn't mind it. He liked it really.

"Because I know she can't do what I do for you." He says simply.

Sasuke wasn't entirely certain, but there seemed to be just a hint of smugness to that tone. Jugo didn't usually do smug. He had more or less two or three states of being. Kind and gentle was the first. Homicidal manic was the second. And of course there was his favorite, the very attentive lover.

Smugness just hadn't been a factor. Well it hadn't been till now. Sasuke's curiosity was aroused. He had to ask. (Anyone would have really.)

"And what is it that you can do for me, that she can't?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

"She can't remember your favorite food. She can't chase your nightmares away. She can't get you fully aroused without taking any clothes off, by touching you in just the right way. And as far as I know, she has never given you three orgasms in one night before." Jugo says.

Sasuke blinks. He didn't know how to respond to that exactly. It was all true, but still rather shocking to hear him speak so bluntly about it. Maybe words were more supplementary in this case than anything else.

He smiles and pins Jugo underneath him. Sasuke quickly kisses him and reaches for the waist band of his pants. Jugo might deny it, but he was definitely jealous. It was a smug jealousy, but it was still there.

"That's all very true. When you put it that way, I think you deserve a reward for being such an attentive lover." He says.

Before Sasuke could explain what this reward was going to be, Itachi comes skidding into the room. A loud crash is heard, as a vase gets knocked over by a rather frantic feline. The puppy was chasing a stray cat.

"BAD, ITACHI! BAD! Don't chase the cat!" Sasuke growls.

"He started it!" The ninja dog protests and skids to a halt, when he realizes his Master was less than pleased with him.

Sasuke sighs. Unbelievable. He had just been cockblocked by a puppy! If the original Itachi was still alive, he would be laughing at him.

"He's just a stray cat. Now, go pick up the broken vase or you won't get any of those biscuits that you like so much." Jugo warns him.

Itachi whines and immediately goes to pick up the vase. Sasuke just shakes his head. It was still a rather surreal scene.

"Do I still get my reward?" Jugo asks hopefully.

"Maybe later. In our room, after the door is locked. Where certain furballs can't come rushing in and knocking over vases." The last Uchiha says with a sigh.

Jugo sighs and nods. Well that was a good point. Maybe the living room wasn't the best place for romance.

A few days later, Jugo stops by the Academy on his way home from the Naras. He decides to walk his lover home. By this time, people were used to seeing them together. Though Sasuke didn't think that people knew they were together, together yet. Apparently, that was a mistaken assumption on his part.

"Friend Sasuke! Friend Jugo! It's so good to see you guys. I'm so happy for you. The power of love and the power of youth are beautiful things!" Lee says.

Jugo looks at Sasuke a little helplessly. He vaguely knew who Lee was. He wasn't sure if he would consider him a friend, but he wasn't an enemy. The last Uchiha twitches in annoyance.

"Thanks Lee. Would you mind not screaming that loud enough for the entire Fire Country to hear you? Wait. How did you find out about us anyway?" Sasuke demands.

"Well I overheard Suigetsu and Karin talking about it at the Ramen Shop a couple days ago. Don't worry. I'm sure that most people won't have a problem with your relationship because you're two men. Love is love." He says happily.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Oh good God, why him? Why was he surrounded by so many fucking idiots?

"That's very kind of you to say. If you don't mind, we've both had a long day at work and just want to get home. Give our best wishes to your Sensei." Jugo says diplomatically.

"I will be sure to do that!" Lee says and strikes a heroic pose.

Sasuke and Jugo both wince at his blindingly bright teeth. The two of them head off as quickly as they possibly could while still having it viewed as being relatively polite. Sheesh.

"Is he always like that?" Jugo asks.

"Always. He's a good guy. He just really needs to lose the spandex and watch where he flashes his teeth. A new haircut probably wouldn't hurt either. I really wish he would drop the springtime of youth garbage as well. But other than that he's fine. He's probably the best Taijutsu ninja we have." The last Uchiha says.

"Yeah. I get that impression. Should we go talk to Karin?" He asks.

Sasuke nods. He heads off with Jugo to find Karin. Thankfully, she was still in her house and not on hospital duty yet. Sasuke knocks on her door and the red head immediately answers.

"Hey, Sasuke! Hey, Jugo!" She greets them.

"Hey, Karin. We have a favor to ask you. A really big favor actually." Sasuke says as he heads inside the house with Jugo following him.

"Alright. What is it?" The young ninja asks.

Sasuke gestures for her to sit down. This wasn't something that they should spring on her, while she was standing. That would be too cruel.

"Well as you know, Sasuke wants to restore his Clan. We just have a problem. Obviously, we can't make a baby on our own. We were hoping that maybe you would consent to being one of our surrogates. Maybe the only one. It just depends if you'd be willing and how many children you'd be willing to have." Jugo explains.,

Sasuke had to hand it to his lover, he was very tactful. He probably would have been a Hell of a lot more blunt. It was likely a good thing that Jugo had broken the news so gently though, Karin looked pretty shell-shocked.

"You want me to have Sasuke's baby?!" She asks.

"Karin, don't get too excited. We aren't conceiving it through traditional means. Jugo might not look it, but he can be pretty possessive and I don't want to lead you on." Sasuke says.

Karin blinks when she notices that Jugo's arms immediately wrapped around Sasuke's waist at that announcement. Damn. She didn't know the gentle giant had it in him.

"Y-es, I understood that it was going to be through a more scientific than romantic method. Still I'm honored that you would trust me enough to carry your child, but I have some questions." She answers him.

"Alright. What are they?" Jugo asks and smiles when Sasuke leans into his hold.

Karin couldn't believe this. Sasuke was actually asking her to have his baby (possibly babies) and his lover was okay with this. This entire experience was so surreal, but she decides it would be a good idea to see what she was signing up for.

"Would the child or children know that I'm their mother?" The red head asks.

"We talked about that. Yes, if you want them to know. If you don't, then we'll come up with something. Ideally, they would. I would prefer them to know who their birth mother is. It's just less traumatic on them that way and more honest." Sasuke replies.

Karin nods. Honestly, she was impressed with the amount of planning the two of them had apparently put into this. She had thought that Sasuke would just charge into fatherhood, without really thinking through the potential consequences of using surrogates. It seemed that wasn't the case.

"Well I guess I'd like the kid to know. I mean it feels like lying otherwise. But how are you going to explain the whole having two fathers thing?" She asks.

Sasuke shrugs. Honestly, the kid was going to be a ninja. He or she was likely to be breathing fireballs before they graduated the Academy. Having two fathers seemed pretty easy to understand when compared to that.

"He or she is going to be a ninja. I'm sure they can handle it. Besides, it just means extra birthday presents." Sasuke reasons.

"Well that's true. Alright. Um when were you thinking about doing this exactly?" She asks.

"We didn't discuss that yet. We wanted to make sure you were okay with it or that we could find a willing surrogate, first. I'll go talk to Tsunade and see what she says. That sneaky witch owes me. Can you believe she head shrunk me just to figure out if I liked men?" Sasuke demands.

Karin just shrugs. Well it was pretty hard to get inside Sasuke's head. The man was extremely private. She felt like she hardly knew him outside of battle situations, honestly.

"That was wrong of her to do. But be honest. If she had just asked, would you have told her the truth?" The red head inquires.

"That's completely besides the point. It just further shows that this village should never be fully trusted. I don't really get what Itachi saw in this village, but I'm not going to spit on his last wishes." The raven haired man says with a shrug.

"Arf! Arf! Well it has lots of cats to chase, lots of people give me belly rubs, and good places to bury bones." He says.

"I meant the other Itachi…" Sasuke says.

Itachi looks at him in confusion. Other Itachi? What was Master Sasuke talking about? There was only one of him. He hadn't figured out how to make clones yet.

"You were named after his brother." Jugo explains and the puppy ohhhs.

The next day, Sasuke goes to the hospital. He figured it was best to do this on his own. Besides, Jugo had work that day and so did Karin.

"Oh Sasuke. What are you doing here?" The busty blonde asks in confusion.

"I talked to Karin about it. She agreed to be my surrogate. I would like to know how soon we could start." He states simply.

Tsunade falls over in shock. Sasuke smirks. Karin he would give the courtesy of telling to sit down before dropping that bombshell, Tsunade not so much. She deserved it for trying to be sneaky. Sasuke hoped she got some bruises out of that fall.

"You what?!" The Hokage demands.

"I said that I talked to Karin. She has agreed to be my surrogate. I love Jugo, but we can't make a baby together in the traditional way. That means you are going to assist us by performing the necessary procedures to ensure that Karin is able to help us." He says firmly.

Tsunade blinks. She knew that he wanted to restore his Clan. She just didn't think that he'd want to do it this soon.

"Are you sure that you are ready for this? You just got back not that long ago. Wouldn't it be better to wait until the dust settles some more before jumping into fatherhood?" She asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. No. He was tired of waiting for things to get better. If the Leaf had a problem with him being a father, he'd just burn the village to the ground.

He was sure that Itachi would understand, as long as he didn't actually kill anyone. They could always rebuild. The last Uchiha was certain that they'd get the point after a few fireballs and Chidoris were thrown.

"I'm not going to wait for them to accept me. Their opinions are irrelevant. The only people's opinions who matter to me are Jugo's, the rest of Taka's, Naruto, Itachi's, and our future family's." He answers her.

"…Right. The dog." She says.

"Yes, the dog. He's a ninja dog. Itachi is very bright. We are still working on getting him to not chase cats though. It's an instinct, I guess. A bit annoying really, but other than that he's very well behaved." Sasuke observes.

Tsunade shakes her head in amusement. The dog was really the least of her worries. She wasn't entirely certain it was a good idea to restore the Uchiha Clan yet. (Or possibly ever really.)

"Yes, I'm sure he's a good dog. But a baby is not a dog. It's a lot more responsibility and you are so young Sasuke. Maybe it would be better to wait a few years." She suggests.

"Tsunade, I'm not waiting. If you refuse to perform the necessary procedures, I will just go to another village and find someone who will. If I'm willing to pay them enough money, they will do it and money isn't an issue for me." Sasuke hisses.

She sighs and smacks her forehead. For goodness sake's, Sasuke was almost as stubborn as Naruto. There was just no talking him out of anything, once he set his mind to it.

"Fine. I'll do it, but don't get baby crazy right away. Just one for now." She warns him.

"I don't think that's your call to make, but fine. When can we start?" Sasuke demands.

She bites her lower lip. The Hokage couldn't believe she was actually agreeing to this. This was just playing with fire. There were a million ways this could go wrong, but he was right.

If he went to another village, they would perform the procedure. It wasn't exactly some top secret medical advancement of the Leaf. Any village with a decent hospital could manage it.

"We can start tomorrow. I just hope that you know what you are signing up for. I really do not think that you are ready to be a parent." The blonde warns him.

"I really don't think that's any of your business. I'm not going to be manipulated by this village any longer. We'll be here first thing in the morning." Sasuke growls as he walks off.

Really sometimes Sasuke wondered if maybe Naruto had placed a tracker on him because the hyper blonde bumps into him a few minutes later. His irritation must have shown on his face. Naruto didn't hesitate to ask him what was wrong.

"Bastard, why do you look like you want to kill someone?" Naruto asks.

"It's a long story. Tsunade thought that she knew better than I did about what I was and wasn't ready for. Short version? We are going to use Karin as our surrogate and going for treatments tomorrow." He states.

Naruto blinks. He had always known that Sasuke wanted kids in theory, but theory was a lot different than having them in reality. It was just really hard to picture the bastard as a dad.

"Whoa. I didn't realize you two were THAT serious." The blonde muses.

"We are. But I would do it even if we weren't. This is important to me." Sasuke says.

"So is he okay with all this? I mean won't he be jealous?" The blonde asks.

Sasuke sighs. He had been concerned about that as well. But Jugo seemed okay with it. Besides, he knew that Sasuke wasn't into Karin that way.

"He says he is. Jugo has never lied to me before. So I believe him when he tells me that. Either way, I'm not going to give him any reason to feel jealous. Karin is just helping us. She's not going to be my lover or anything like that." The last Uchiha says.

"Well that's really nice of her. I mean pregnancy can be really hard on a woman. She's going to be vomiting and going through labor for you guys. So you should be extra nice to her. Well actually you should just be nice to her. I've never really seen you do nice before." The boisterous ninja observes thoughtfully and Sasuke just rolls his eyes at that assessment.

Honestly, Naruto was such an idiot sometimes. Of course, Sasuke didn't expect anything less from his best friend, but still. This was a serious occasion and should be treated as such.

"Keep making cracks like that and I will rescind your godfather status." The raven haired ninja informs him.

"My godfather status? Wait. Are you serious?! You want me to be the godfather of your kid?!" Naruto exclaims.

Sasuke nods. Who else was he going to ask? Naruto was his best friend. (Well besides Jugo.) It just made sense to ask him.

"Yes, don't make me regret it. Hopefully, if the worst case scenario happens, it will be after they leave babyhood behind. I don't want you to drop my kid on their head and screw them up for life or something. You are such a klutz." The other man says.

Naruto twitches. Sasuke really could be such a bastard sometimes. Only he could ask someone to be the Godfather for his kid and still insult them.

"Hmpf! You are such a jerk. I don't know how Jugo puts up with you." He grumbles.

"Oh he likes putting up with me. He likes it a lot actually, but we aren't here to discuss my sex life. We are discussing whether or not you will be the godfather to my children." Sasuke says.

"Bastard, I did not want to know about your sex life! I guess he must be doing something right though. I mean you seem less bitchy since you got with him." Naruto informs him.

Oh he so did not just call him that. Sasuke Uchiha was not bitchy. He might be broody or irritated, but never bitchy. Oh yeah. Naruto needed his daily ass kicking.

"Is that your way of saying you want to train? I guess I've been pretty neglectful lately. You are down to about two or three beatings a week." Sasuke states.

"Ha! You are delusional. There is no way that you could ever beat me, let alone two or three times a week. I guess he must have screwed your brains out or something. That's the only logical explanation for why you would say something that ridiculous." The blonde says with a nod.

"That wasn't a bad pun, but you are still getting your ass kicked." Sasuke says as he teleports to the training grounds and Naruto quickly follows him.

Sasuke smiles when they arrive. It was nice to know that some things would never change. Naruto would always take the bait for a training session. Jugo was apparently going to try to seduce him from now on. Suigetsu and Karin would still bicker like cats and dogs.

It was nice to have some stability in his life. He couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something though. What was it?

"REOWWWW!" A cat cries out as it goes flying past Sasuke with Itachi in hot pursuit.

Oh yeah. That was it. And Itachi would apparently always chase cats. As he was saying, it was nice to know that certain things could be counted on no matter what.

Idly, he hoped that his future son or daughter liked dogs, snakes, and hawks. She or he would have a ninja dog and have to deal with his summons after all. Oh well. He'd worry about that later.


	14. Chapter 14

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry, this one is late. I got caught up in some of my other stories. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** There is a lemon in this chapter. Sasuke tops. Warnings were put in place before and afterwards. So if you prefer it only to be JugoSasu or a more innocent story, you can easily skip that part. On the other hand, if you are curious to see how Sasuke handles things, enjoy.

 **Viewers' Choice:** Would you prefer this story to be relatively short and have it continue it's soothing vibe or do you want it to become a long story, with drama? Short means under 20 chapters.

Chapter 14

A little over two months later, Sasuke was dutifully holding Karin's hair back. The red head was now carrying the future of the Uchiha Clan inside her womb. His son or daughter was not feeling particularly kind to their mother today. On the plus side, Tsunade assured them that Morning Sickness was quite normal at this stage.

"Gross." She mutters once she finishes emptying the contents of her stomach.

Sasuke was getting somewhat used to this scene. He hands her a glass of water and some tissues to wipe her mouth. She murmurs her thanks and proceeds to do exactly that.

"Maybe you should lay down. That might help settle your stomach." He suggests.

"Yeah. Maybe." Karin says as she heads to her room with Itachi following.

Itachi was on _**Puppy Watch.**_ The canine didn't seem to understand that humans had much longer pregnancies than dogs. So he sincerely thought that Karin might go into labor at any time. (No matter how many times they explained the reality of the situation to him, Itachi just wouldn't believe them.)

"That's one brave dog. Karin is bitchy at the best of times, but I don't want to go anywhere near her when she's going through Morning Sickness." Suigetsu mutters as he bites into his sandwich.

Sasuke couldn't really disagree with that assessment. Still he had asked Karin to be his surrogate. The very least he could do was help her through the "delights" of pregnancy.

"It's Itachi. He's a puppy. Even a pregnant woman can't stay mad at puppy." Sasuke reasons.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Looks like Jugo is back." The white haired man says as he glances outside the window and sees Jugo walking down the road.

"Look after Karin for me. I'm gonna head home with Jugo. I don't want him to feel ignored." Sasuke mutters.

Suigetsu looks at the eldest Uchiha helplessly. He wanted to leave him ALONE with a pregnant Karin?! Was Sasuke out of his mind? Did he WANT him to die?!

"Please don't leave me alone with her! Come on, you aren't that cruel. Not even you are that cruel. You know how fucking crazy her hormones make her. They make her even more crazy than normal!" The sword lover protests.

"Just think of it as good practice for when she's carrying your child." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Suigetsu blinks. He does a double take. He was pretty sure that he resembled a gaping fish at the moment. The Prodigy in the Art of Murder couldn't believe that the raven haired man had just said that!

"What?! You don't seriously think that I like Karin, do you?! Wow. Jugo really has been screwing your brains out damn good. You've completely lost it. There is no way that I want her like that. You're nuts." The other man insists.

"I think you are protesting just a little bit too much. It's obvious. You two should just sleep together and get it over with. The whole dancing around each other in circles thing, is very annoying." Sasuke mutters as he heads off.

Suigetsu just gapes at Sasuke's retreating form. Holy shit. The new father was out of his mind. He didn't seriously think that Suigetsu was lusting after Karin, did he?

"Oh yeah. That can't be good. I hope whatever mental illness he has isn't genetic. That poor kid." Suigetsu mutters to himself as he goes back to eating his sandwich.

Jugo gets to their house a minute or so before Sasuke did. He smiles when he heard his lover follow him inside shortly afterwards. The gentle giant quickly pins him to the wall and captures his lips in a heated kiss.

Sasuke kisses back. Idly, he notes that this was one Hell of a greeting. Normally, when he got home after Jugo, he'd get a more gentle, _"I'm happy to se you,"_ Kiss. This was passionate and very possessive.

"Not that I'm complaining, but that's one Hell of a greeting." Sasuke muses after breaking the kiss.

"I missed you." Jugo says.

"Jugo, you've only been gone for a few hours." Sasuke replies in amusement.

"It's not just that. I know that you feel obligated to help Karin with her pregnancy and I admire that, but you are spending so much time with her. I know that I said that I wouldn't be jealous, but I can't help it." He admits.

Sasuke blinks. Damn it. He had been afraid this was going to happen. He was not in love with Karin. She was a good friend and he appreciated what she was doing for him, but he wasn't remotely sexually attracted to her.

"Jugo, I'm sorry that you feel that way. You know that I don't want her though, right? I want you. She's not the one that I lay next to every night." The raven haired man reminds him.

"I know. I'm being ridiculous. Forget that I mentioned it." The other ninja states.

The eldest Uchiha shakes his head. He wasn't going to forget that Jugo brought this issue up. He loved him. Sasuke didn't want to screw up the only romantic relationship that he'd ever had over something that was fixable.

"You aren't being ridiculous. I don't want you to ever feel that way. Your feelings are important to me. I know that I've been focused on Karin lately, but that's only because she's pregnant. I love you. Not her and not anyone else." Sasuke assures him.

"I know. I believe you." Jugo says with a smile.

"Come on. Let me prove it to you." Sasuke says as he slinks out of Jugo's hold and heads to their room.

Jugo wasn't exactly sure what Sasuke had in mind. Still he definitely liked the way he said it. The gentle giant quickly follows his lover back to their rom.

"How did you plan to prove it to me?" He asks and umpfs when Sasuke pins him to the bed.

"Oh I'm sure something will cum to mind, if we think really **hard**." The raven haired ninja whispers into his ear.

Jugo blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that wasn't it. It looked like Sasuke wanted to take the reigns tonight.

He supposed in a way it shouldn't have been a surprise. The other man had initially indicated that was his preference. Jugo just had more experienced and it had been more practical to let him take control at first. Since their first time together, the eldest Uchiha had seemed quite content to allow Jugo to remain the more dominant lover. That didn't seem to be the case today though.

"I agree." He murmurs as he caresses Sasuke's cheek.

"Good. This is payback for what you did to my other shirt by the way." Sasuke says as he takes out a kunai.

Jugo chuckles at that announcement. He merely nods his head in consent. Idly, he muses that he wouldn't have been so casual about anyone else holding a kunai that close to him. Sasuke was the only living person that he could trust that much.

Sasuke smirks at his acceptance. He slowly drags the kunai over Jugo's shirt. The weapon tears it in half, lightly grazing over the muscular chest that was just underneath it.

"That's only fair. I did like that shirt." Jugo admits.

"Mhm. It was a very nice shirt." Sasuke agrees as he continues slowly slicing Jugo's top off.

He exerted just enough pressure to cut the fabric, but not enough to cut the skin. Sasuke would never seriously hurt Jugo. The eldest Uchiha just understood the sensation of touch very well. The coolness of the blade could feel very erotic, if used in just the right away. As long as you didn't cut, that is.

Jugo shivers when he feels the blade against his skin. He knew exactly what Sasuke was doing. That didn't make it any less erotic though.

"Your clothes are nice, but I prefer you without them on." He tells him.

 **Warning Lemon**

"Oh I'm sure that you do." Sasuke says as he tugs off Jugo's pants and boxers.

Sasuke smirks as he admires the view of his naked lover. While he was confident in his own appearance. He still had to marvel at Jugo's muscles. A naked Jugo was still a very impressive sight, no matter how many times he saw him that way.

"That's true." Jugo says as he unbuttons Sasuke's shirt and slowly slides it off Sasuke's shoulder and the rest of his body.

"The way you undress me, reminds me of someone opening a precious gift." Sasuke muses as he brushes his lips against Jugo's jugular.

"To me, there is no difference between those two things." The other member of Taka says as he closes his eyes in contentment.

Sasuke places gentle kisses and love bites along the column of Jugo's throat as his hands glide over his chest. He reveled in the power he felt underneath his finger tips and every sound his lover made. Jugo was usually a rather gentle lover. So he treasured every sound that escaped from his lips.

"You're definitely a romantic." Sasuke observes as he places another love bite on his neck as his hand drifts south.

"For you, I am." Jugo says as he yanks off Sasuke's pants and boxers.

Sasuke smirks. He strokes Jugo and enjoys the way he bucked against his hand. It really didn't take much to get his lover fully around. The gentle giant was extremely sensitive.

"Lay on your stomach and let me take care of you for once." He whispers seductively into his ear.

Jugo shivers at the tone in his lover's voice. He quickly does as Sasuke asked. He preferred to make their lovemaking a more equal exchange, but the elder Uchiha wanted to take the lead today. He wasn't going to argue.

"I trust you." He says.

"I know you do. That's part of the reason why I love you. There are a lot more reasons, of course. But that's one of the main ones." Sasuke tells him as he runs his hands up and down Jugo's back in a sensual massage.

Jugo practically purrs in pleasure. That felt good. It was quite ironic that Sasuke's hands that could wield lightning were capable of being that gentle.

"Mmm see? I can take care of you sometimes." Sasuke says as he strokes Jugo's arousal with one hand and sucks on his other.

They had been intimate more than enough times for Sasuke to know how to do this. Of course knowing how to be the more aggressive lover in theory, was different than in reality. That wasn't going to scare off Sasuke though.

"Alright." He murmurs.

"Have you ever, done it this way before?" Sasuke asks as he slowly slides a single digit inside his lover.

"A few times." Jugo says honestly and Sasuke blinks.

That answer did surprise him. Still it was probably a good thing in this case. The elder Uchiha hadn't done this before and if Jugo hadn't either, that could have gotten awkward.

"Good to know. Tell me when it feels good." He says as he moves inside his lover.

Jugo arches back against Sasuke. It didn't hurt. At the moment, it felt a bit odd. He knew why though. It had been a long time, since he had been the more submissive lover.

"I'll tell you. I promise. I'd never hide anything from you, especially that." He says.,

"I know. That's another reason that I love you. Your honesty." The raven haired ninja says as he continues preparing his lover.

He soon adds a second finger. It took a few moments of exploring, but eventually Jugo moaned. Sasuke smirked. Ah ha. He found it.

Sasuke spends a bit longer teasing the gentle giant underneath him. He showers his muscular back with kisses, strokes him, and continues stretching him. Eventually, he felt Jugo's arousal begin to really pulse in his hands. That told Sasuke that now was the best time. He was distracted.

He slowly slides inside Jugo. Sasuke groans and suddenly realizes why Jugo was so eager to couple. This felt so fucking good. It was a different kind of good than the one he was accustomed to. He wasn't sure which he liked better though. Sex with Jugo was apparently just good, no matter who was the aggressor.

"Sasuke!" He groans.

"Does it hurt?" Sasuke asks in concern as he kisses his ear.

"No. I'm not made of glass. You don't have to treat me like a China Doll." He notes with amusement as he bucks back against his lover encouragingly.

Sasuke takes that as all the permission he needed. He begins slowly moving inside the tight heat that was his lover. Each thrust made him feel even better.

He growls in pleasure and lightly bites down on the other man's shoulder. Jugo didn't seem to mind this. He moaned and it didn't long for the two lovers to begin to move as one.

"Good to know." He says as he claims his lover again and again.

The bed began to shake underneath them from the force of their lovemaking. Jugo moans and Sasuke lets out a chorus of pleasure filled sounds as well. He smiles as he licks the bite mark affectionately.

He never thought that he'd feel this way. Sasuke didn't think that it was possible for him to be happy again, after what happened to his family. But he was. He was in love and loved in return.

"Sasuke!" Jugo moans as his orgasm overtakes him.

That was all that it took for Sasuke to spiral over the edge along with his lover. They both came with a roar. Afterwards, he slowly slides out of the gentle giant and spins him around until they could kiss each other.

 **End of Lemon**

Jugo returns the kiss happily. Sasuke smiles into it and then breaks it. The two of them part long enough to try to catch their breath.

"I'm sorry that you felt a little neglected. Hopefully, that helped." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"That definitely helped." Jugo agrees.

"Good. I love you. I don't want you to ever doubt that or forget it. I'd be lost without my Shield." Sasuke says as he lays next to Jugo and enjoys some afterglow cuddling.

Of course, he'd kill anyone who said he was a cuddler. Still he did enjoy the activity. It was particularly enjoyable after some really great sex.

"And I'd be lost without my Cage. So I have been thinking. The child will have your genes and Karin's." Jugo begins.

"Yeah? So? That's a good thing. Like you said, he or she might have her healing ability and the Uzumaki vitality. I hope that they don't get Naruto's or Karin's loudmouth though." Sasuke reasons.

Jugo chuckles. Leave it to Sasuke to be concerned about how loud his child was going to be. That wasn't what he was thinking though. Well not this time at least.

"It's not that. My musing was more superficial in nature." The other member of Taka admits.

"Alright. What's on your mind? I don't mind superficial now and then." The raven haired ninja assures him as he runs his fingers through Jugo's vibrant locks.

Jugo smiles. He leans into Sasuke's touch. It was very soothing and he had quickly grown addicted to it. He had fallen in love with his Cage. That was rather twisted in a way, he muses.

"Well I know red hair is recessive, but it's quite common in the Uzumaki line. Do you think that the baby will have red hair?" Jugo inquires.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't thought about that actually. Well hopefully, if his son or daughter had red hair, it would be a different shade their birth mother's. Hers was borderline hot pink. He had seen some pictures of Kushina though. That shade of red might be okay. Gaara's would be the most dignified though.

"That's a good point. I don't know really. That would be something. A red headed Uchiha. I don't think that the Clan has ever had one of those before." The future father muses.

"It could be cute." Jugo offers.

"Maybe. I just hope that I don't have a son with hair in Karin's shade. He'd be humiliated. I'd probably have him dye it. Just to preserve his dignity. At the very least, I know that the odds are low that they will get pink hair like Sakura. So that's comforting." Sasuke muses.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of embraces and sleeping. Jugo smiles when he wakes up the next morning and saw that Sasuke was still asleep. He looked so completely relaxed. It would be a shame to wake him.

Suigetsu didn't have that problem. He busts right in. The sword lover didn't even bother to knock.

"Please tell me that you have some fucking ice cream!" He exclaims.

"Quiet! You'll wake him up." Jugo grumbles.

"Oh right. Sorry about that, but I really need some ice cream. Karin is going through pregnancy cravings and it's pretty scary really. So do you have any?" He ask cheerfully.

Sasuke's eyes flutter open and he looks around in confusion. He had been enjoying a blissful night of sleep and some idiot had woken up. That's when he realized the idiot was Suigetsu.

"What do you want and why didn't you fucking knock?" Sasuke hisses at him.

Suigetsu rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Damn this kid was trying to get him killed and he or she wasn't even out of the womb yet. Between Karin's pregnancy symptoms, Jugo's over protectiveness, and Sasuke's general prissyness, he was a goner.

The white haired man didn't care tehat prissyness wasn't a real word. It described Sasuke really well. Accuracy was important.

"I want to know if you have any ice cream. I didn't knock because it's an emergency. Do you know how scary Karin is when she goes into crazy pregnant lady mode?" Suigetsu demands.

Sasuke groans. He really wished the either he or Jugo were a woman. Oh and that they were straight or at least bisexual. That would have made this a lot easier.

"Yes, we have ice cream. Why didn't you just check the fridge instead of waking us up?" Sasuke says and arches an eyebrow.

"Well it would have been rude to just take it without asking. You probably would have Chidoried my nuts off or something for that." His teammate replies.

Sasuke shakes his head. He wouldn't Chidori Suigetsu over that. Really the other man was being way overdramatic. He saved his Chidoris for more severe offenses than stealing food.

"I wouldn't Chidori you for that. Besides, it's unlikely I would have noticed anyway. It's not like I take inventory of groceries everyday. Next time, just take what you need. Humor her. She's pregnant." Sasuke states.

"I still don't know why you had to choose her to be your surrogate. She's the craziest woman in this village. It's like you want us all to suffer or something? Seriously, there wasn't anyone else that you could have asked?" The sword lover inquires.

The raven haired ninja just shakes his head. Suigetsu had asked him this at least once a week since Karin agreed to be his surrogate. Sasuke didn't know why he kept asking. As far as he could tell, it was just because the other man liked to hear himself talk.

"I could have chosen someone else, but I know her. I trust her. Besides, she has some very useful abilities that might be genetic." Sasuke answers him for the thousandth time.

The violet eyed ninja just shakes his head. Sasuke was crazy. That was the only logical explanation. He didn't care what sort of abilities Karin had. A pregnant and hormonal Karin was just a disaster in the making.

"Alright. Well I'll go grab the stuff. Sorry, for waking you guys up." Suigetsu says as he walks down the stairs.

Sasuke sighs. He glances at the clock. Damn it. He had to be back at the school in an hour. Normally, he would have slept in at least another half hour, but there was no point in trying to go back to sleep now.

"I guess we might as well get up." He growls in annoyance.

"You should probably get used to being woken up suddenly. Babies cry a lot during the night." Jugo suggests helpfully.

"That's different. I don't mind getting woken up by our child. Getting woken up by an overgrown child named Suigetsu is another matter though." Sasuke grumbles.

Jugo could only chuckle at that response. Sasuke was Sasuke. Even when he was sulking, he was still adorable to him.

Of course, Jugo wasn't suicidal enough say that to his lover's face. He kisses his cheek and gets up. The orange haired man offers him his hand.

"Thanks." Sasuke mumbles as he takes it.

He sighs. He was definitely going to need a quick shower before he headed off to the Academy. Sasuke was pretty sure that most of his students wouldn't be able to figure out what he had been doing the night before. Still he did have a sizable group of twelve year olds. So he wasn't going to take any chances.

"I'll hop in the shower and grab some toast or something. Then I'll head off to the Academy." Sasuke says as he heads towards the bathroom.

"Do you want me to join you?" Jugo asks.

"No. If you do that, then I'm not going to end up going to work today and we both know it." Sasuke calls out and soon enough Jugo could hear the water running.

The other member of Taka smiles. That was probably true. One good thing about being a ninja was that it did wonders for your physical stamina. This applied to combat and training, but also to more _pleasurable_ areas.

If they really wanted to, they could probably spend the day together in bed. It was tempting. Unfortunately, he knew that Sasuke should go. He was trying to convince everyone that he was a dependable member of the Leaf Village. Skipping work wouldn't be very helpful when you considered that.

"That's true." He replies and Jugo swore that he heard the sound of Sasuke's laugh.

It was somewhat muffled by the water. That didn't change the fact that he was almost positive he had heard it. Sasuke really did have a beautiful laugh. Slowly but surely, he was hearing it more often. Maybe Team Taka had finally found a home where they could be happy, after all.


	15. Chapter 15

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I finally decided on whether or not I wanted to add some drama or continue the soothing vibe. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this chapter and finding out which way I decided to go.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place three months after the last one.

Chapter 15

Karin was now five months pregnant and honestly, Sasuke was getting concerned. She had BALLOONED. He was hardly an expert on marine biology, but to him she now resembled a manatee.

Sasuke wasn't shallow. He certainly would never hold weight gain against a pregnant woman, but he was still concerned. Should she really get that big? Was that even healthy?

"Alright. Let's get you set up for the ultrasound here." Tsunade says gently to Karin and helps her on the table.

Jugo was standing by Sasuke's side as always. Suigetsu and Itachi had come along for the ride. The busty blonde hadn't been that fond of allowing a dog into the exam room, but Itachi had insisted that he would behave. Eventually, the medic had relented.

"I'm warning you. This is going to be very cold at first." Tsunade says.

"That's alright. Do we get to find out the gender today? I know that Sasuke has been really excited about that and he or she is kicking A LOT. Their going to be a Taijutsu expert at this rate." Karin observes.

Tsunade chuckles. Well perhaps that should have been expected. This was Sasuke's child. Of course he or she was going to be difficult. She quickly places the gel on Karin's belly and the red head lets out a shriek.

"I did warn you that it was going to be cold. Hmm let's see. Ah there we go." Tsunade says and Suigetsu looks curiously.

"Whoa! Definitely a boy. Damn Sasuke. Your kid is packing!" Suigetsu exclaims.

Sasuke twitches. He smacks the Hell out of Suigetsu. Pervert. He couldn't believe that he had said that about his child!

"You are such an idiot!" Sasuke growls.

"Suigetsu, that's his arm. You are right though. Congratulations, you are having a son." Tsunade says exasperation at the sword lover's antics.

"Something's wrong. He has three arms." Jugo says in horror.

Well that got everyone's attention. Tsunade blinks. She looks again and gasps. Hmm well that did explain a lot. Karin had gained more weight than would be expected for a single birth, but for twins she was right on track.

"He only has two arms. It looks like you are expecting twins. His brother or sister is just hiding behind him. Let me see if, I can get a better look." The medic informs them.

Sasuke blinks. Twins?! She was carrying twins?! He hadn't seen that one coming. He beams and Jugo kisses his cheek.

"Twi-ns?!" Karin asks and she looks ready to faint.

"Don't worry. The Leaf has some of the best medical care in the world. We have handled a fair number of twin births before. You aren't our first mother expecting two children to arrive on the same day." Tsunade assures her as she tries to determine the other baby's gender.

Suigetsu at this point was thinking of all the ways that identical twins could mess with people. Part of him was hoping that would be the cause just so he could sit back and enjoy the chaos. The other part of him was terrified of what that chaos might entail.

"Ah. Fraternal twins. One boy and one girl. It looks like your daughter is just a little bit shyer than her brother." The busty blonde muses after awhile.

"Two puppies!" Itachi barks happily.

Sasuke beams and places his hand on Karin's shoulder reassuringly. Understandably, she looked less than thrilled to find out that she was going to have to give birth twice in a row. She sighs and shakes her head. Well she probably should have seen it coming really. It was just her luck.

"I should have figured that you would be an overachiever, even when it comes to having children. Twins were almost a given, in hindsight." The red head mutters.

"Yeah! That's our Sassy. You know how he is. He's always got to show off. Hell, even his sperm is apparently the overachieving kind. Though it does explain so much. I just thought you were getting really fat, even for a pregnant woman. You're carrying twins though. So it makes more sense." The violet eyed ninja muses.

Sasuke and Jugo smack their foreheads. Yeah. It was rather obvious that Suigetsu needed his daily beating.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!" Karin snarls.

"I said that I thought you were getting fat. I guess I was wrong though. You just have two buns in the oven instead of one. That explains everything." Suigetsu continues, as if he completely unaware of the danger he was currently in.

The expectant mother gets off the table. She quickly yanks her shirt down and proceeds to chase Suigetsu. Sasuke blinks. It was somewhat disturbing to see a heavily pregnant woman chasing after a Prodigy in the Art of Murder.

"Jugo, is this really happening?" Sasuke whispers.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Though this is great news. You are going to be a father of two." Jugo says with a smile and wraps his arms around his lover.

"No, WE are going to be fathers of two." Sasuke replies and leans back into the gentle giant.

Tsunade just shakes her head. She really didn't know what she was going to do about this very strange group. Jugo, Sasuke, and Itachi didn't seem to be too concerned though. So she was fairly certain that Karin and Suigetsu were merely playing around.

"Alright. Alright. You don't want to overdo it. You can beat him up later. Sasuke, perhaps it would be best to get Karin home. She should get some rest. Twin pregnancies can sometimes be more difficult than single pregnancies." She reasons.

"Yes, of course. Come on, Karin." Sasuke says as he slides out of Jugo's embrace and teleports her back to the Uchiha District.

Jugo briefly mourns the loss of contact. He shakes it off though. The large man knew exactly where his lover was going.

"Itachi. Suigetsu, let's get head back." Jugo says with a smile as he heads off with the other two members of Taka.

Suigetsu quickly follows his teammate. He couldn't believe that Karin was pregnant with twins. Oh this was going to be a Hellish next four months. He could only imagine what'd she be like once she went into labor.

The white haired man shivers. Karin was a banshee on a good day. He could only imagine what'd she be like when she had to shove not one, but TWO babies out on the same day.

"Don't be afraid. Lots of females have more than one puppy." Itachi says comfortingly as he fluffs the violet eyed ninja's legs.

"Yeah. That's more common with dogs than people. It's kinda a big deal when a human has twins though." Suigetsu says as he leans down and gives Itachi a brief scratch behind the ears, before they continue on their way.

Jugo chuckles. No one could say that Itachi wasn't very excited to see the "puppies." He smiles as they make their way into the Uchiha District.

Meanwhile in the Stone Village, Onoki sighs. Word of Karin's pregnancy had spread. It was now common knowledge that Sasuke was restoring his Clan with the red head.

To the elderly ninja, it mattered very little that the conception had been more clinical than romantic in nature. The main point was that she was carrying an Uchiha in her womb. In his mind, that just wouldn't do.

"It's bad enough that Sasuke was reinstated as a Leaf Villager. If the Uchiha Clan is allowed to be revived in the Leaf Village, history will just repeat itself. That and the balance of power will likely be shifted." He sighs to himself.

He had no great love for Sasuke, but that didn't change the fact that he felt guilty. Onoki was a grandfather and a father himself. He knew of the powerful bond that existed between a parent and their child. Unfortunately, it would have to be broken.

Oh he wasn't cruel enough to kill a pregnant woman or a newborn child. The Stone Kage was cruel enough to kidnap said pregnant woman and fake her death. He could make it look like an accident.

"If the child grows up in the Stone Village, away from Sasuke, perhaps things can work out better. It would be tempting fate to allow the child to be raised by him." He mutters.

Sasuke and Naruto were arguably the two most powerful ninjas on the planet. The fact that Sasuke had sired a child with an Uzumaki was even more concerning. Those two bloodlines merging wouldn't end well.

The Uchihas were prone to insanity. It wasn't entirely their fault. It was the Curse of Hatred. The Sharingan was a bloodline that was built on just that. Blood.

He had to move quickly. Onoki had subtly sent a spy to the Leaf. The spy had been watching Sasuke's behavior rather closely and he had passed along some very valuable information.

"The best time to strike is during the day, when most of Taka will be away. Karin is already five months pregnant, she won't be able to put up much of a fight." He murmurs to himself.

Onoki summons some of his most loyal Jonin to his side. He was confident that they could strike quickly and get Karin out of the Leaf, before her teammates came home. That would be ideal.

"Your mission is to abduct Karin. I want her unharmed. You are to make it look as though she died. Then get her back here and we shall proceed. Do you have any questions?" He demands.

"Are you certain this is wise? What if the Uchiha realizes that she is not actually dead? What if he comes looking for her and his child? It will mean war. You know what he is capable of. I say this with all due respect, of course." One of the Jonin says.

Onoki sighs. He couldn't be angry with Shiro. The man wasn't saying anything that he hadn't thought himself at least a thousand times. Still it had to be done.

"We don't have another choice. That child will be far too powerful to leave in the Leaf Village. The balance of power will likely be tilted. I am certain that this the best course of action to take. I know that it is an unpleasant one, but it must be done. Now go." He states and the Jonin quickly head off.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, Sasuke had helped Karin get into her bed. About thirty seconds after that, Itachi came running in. Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Well he was certainly a very protective guard dog. Which was good thing. They were going to need that.

"Stay with Karin. She needs her rest. Make sure no one bothers her. Alright?" He asks as he pets Itachi.

"Arf! Arf! Okay." The puppy says as his tail wags excitedly.

"Good boy." Sasuke says with a smile as he heads back to his own home, knowing that Jugo would be arriving shortly.

The eldest Uchiha was right about that assumption. It only took Jugo about five minutes for him to soon join his lover back in their home. Sasuke smiles and greets him with a kiss.

"So twins. That's great news! Though I think Suigetsu is a little terrified." The gentle giant observes.

"He has good reason to be. That idiot is always provoking her. You don't provoke a red head or a pregnant woman. You especially don't provoke a red headed pregnant woman. I swear he's a masochist or something." The raven haired ninja says.

Jugo couldn't exactly argue with that. He had wondered that more than once or twice himself. Still that didn't matter at the moment. Today, was a very special day. Sasuke had just found out that he was going to be a father to twins.

"We should celebrate the good news." The orange haired man announces.

"What'd you have in mind?" Sasuke asks.

"Well we could check out your family's wine cellar and hot springs." He suggests.

Sasuke smirks. He knew there was a reason that he loved this man. Well other than his honesty and the great sex. In his own way, Jugo was very smart. He certainly knew how to utilize his environment.

"Alright. You go pick us out something to drink and I'll meet you at the hot spring." Sasuke says as he walks outside the door.

A few minutes later, Sasuke smiles when he sees Jugo approach him. He was already in the hot spring. It looked like the gentle giant had found some bottle of wine. Sasuke wasn't a heavy drinker, but Jugo was right. This was a special occasion. It should definitely be celebrated.

"You know if you sold your wine collection, you'd be richer than the Hyugas." He notes in amusement.

"Probably, but I think we are more than comfortable enough at the moment. I think I'll worry about restoring the crushed buildings before I think about additions." Sasuke replies as he takes the glass that Jugo had pour from him.

Jugo nods in agreement. That was a good point. Baby steps. Speaking of babies, this mean that they were going to need two baby names.

"Have you talked to her about names yet?" The orange haired man asks as he joins his lover in the hot springs.

"Not yet. Maybe I should let her name them. I mean she is doing us a big favor. I should probably at least let her get the chance to name them, if she wants." He muses.

Sasuke wasn't entirely certain what kind of names Karin might suggest. So that was a gamble. He knew it. Of course, he'd step in if she wanted something completely stupid. Despite the risk, it was only fair to give her a chance.

"I'm sure that the two of you will come up with wonderful names." Jugo assures him as he kisses Sasuke's forehead.

The eldest Uchiha smiles. Before Jugo, it had been a long time since he could rely on anyone for reassurance of any kind. The last person that had freely offered it, was Itachi.

His lover was obviously in a different category though. Still it was nice. He wasn't alone anymore. He had Jugo, his children, Taka, and Naruto. For the past few months had brought him something that he hadn't had in years, a sense of contentment.

"Thanks. You've been very understanding about this. I know it can't be easy for you." He says.

"I would never intentionally lie to you, but it's harder than I thought it was going to be. I know that you don't love her and you don't want her to be your lover, but she can give you something that I can't. That does hurt in a way. It doesn't matter though. You've been very good at reminding me that I'm your most precious person. Well other than the twins of course." Jugo says as he kisses Sasuke.

Sasuke smiles and returns the kiss. He was extremely lucky. Sasuke wasn't entirely certain what his reaction would have been if positions were reversed. He would like to think that he could be logical, but he'd be lying if said that he wouldn't be jealous.

"I know you wouldn't and you definitely are my most precious person. Well my most precious person that isn't related to me anyway." Sasuke assures him, after breaking the kiss.

There was nothing stronger than the bond between a parent and their child after all. Jugo was aware of that. He smiles and nods at that declaration.

"Hey, bastard! You here?! Today, was the big day right? You were supposed to find out if it's a girl or a boy!" Naruto's excited voice is heard calling out.

Sasuke sighs. Sometimes he wondered if the entire Leaf Village was participating in a new sport. It was called Cockblock the Uchiha. Naruto was definitely aiming for first place in this event.

"Naruto, will you be quiet?! Karin is trying to rest." He grumbles.

Well that annoyed response was really all Naruto needed. He was able to figure out where Sasuke was by the sound of his voice. The blonde blinks when he saw Sasuke and Jugo alone, together in the hot spring.

"Wow. I guess you guys really are together. I mean it's one thing to hear about it. It's another to see it." The blue eyed ninja observes cheerfully.

Sasuke merely rolls his eyes at his friend's antics. Naruto meant well. He was still processing the whole some men liked men thing though. It was ironic, but the savior of the Ninja World was really an overgrown child.

"Yes, we are really together. Yeah. We went to see Tsunade. Karin's carrying twins. Fraternal. A boy and a girl." Sasuke says proudly.

"Wow. You really are an overachieving bastard. Two for the price of one, huh? That's great news though!" His friend replies.

Jugo nods in agreement. He smiles and kisses Sasuke's cheek. The blonde was just offering his congratulations. He knew that Naruto hadn't meant anything by his awful timing.

"Yes, it is. We were just discussing potential names. Sasuke is going to ask Karin, if she wants to name them or not." The orange haired man explains.

Naruto blinks. Hmm that was a good point. What the Hell did you name a pair of mini Sasukes anyway?

"Yeah. Their definitely going to need names." The blonde says as if this was some profound discovery.

"Obviously, idiot." Sasuke mutters and rolls his eyes good-naturedly at his friend.

The next day, Sasuke heads back to the Academy. He still didn't think that teaching at the Academy was really his calling, but he had fallen into a routine that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Besides, it was still better than chasing cats.

"Alright, can anyone tell me about the Warring States Period?" Sasuke asks.

He was currently teaching his twelve year old class. So yeah, it was more advanced than teaching the rugrats. Several hands went up, mostly from the girls.

He mentally sighs. Sasuke highly doubted that was a coincidence. The boys were still being boys. The girls were apparently just old enough to get their first crushes. Mostly this appeared to be on him, much to his annoyance.

"Alright. Why don't you start us off, Kusha?" He asks a blonde girl in his class, who begins promptly launching into an explanation of what little she knew of that era. (Which Sasuke privately admitted was likely more than most of her classmates.)

Elsewhere, Jugo and Suigetsu were heading off. Jugo was going to work with the Naras as usual. The white haired ninja had been assigned his first combat mission. A solo one.

"Be careful." The other member of Taka warns him.

"Pft. Please. I can't wait to get back into it. It's about time they recognized that I'm the best in the business when it comes to assassinations." He says cheerfully.

Jugo rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He wasn't really sure that it was a good thing that Suigetsu was so happy about getting placed on an assassination mission. Still he was happy that his friend was happy.

"Of course. Well I'll see you later." He says as he walks towards the Naras and the white haired ninja heads towards the village exit.

If they had been aware of the Stone Jonin who had arrived earlier that day, none of them ever would have left for work that day. The Jonin smirk when they realize the three men of Taka had left the pregnant ninja alone. Well other than a puppy.

When they arrived in the Uchiha District, they were greeted by Itachi. Needless to say, the Ninja Dog was not happy about seeing the intruders. Itachi might still have been young, but he was a big dog by this point.

"This is the Uchiha District. Only Uchihas, Taka members, and Naruto are allowed here. Unless you are the Hokage, you aren't any of those people." He growls.

"Awe man. Are we really going to have to beat up and overgrown puppy?" Banko asks.

"Nah. I'll just knock him out. You get Karin." Shiro answers him as he makes a dash towards the stairs.

Itachi was on him in a flash though. His fangs were bared and he slashes at him with his claws. The man's cries of pain had alerted Karin.

The young woman peeks down the stairs and gasps when she saw the Ninja Puppy engaged in combat with two foreign ninjas. She was about to teleport off when she winces in pain. A tranquilizer dart had hit her in the neck.

"Calm down, Fluffy. We aren't going to actually hurt her. If we wanted her dead, we would have laced the dart with poison instead of a sedative." Banko says in an effort to get Itachi off the first Jonin.

"Fluffy?!" Itachi snarls in outrage.

Oh that was it. No one called him Fluffy. He was proud Ninja Dog, not some pampered house pet. He charges at him and bares his teeth, breathing out a fireball. (Just like how Master Sasuke taught him.)

"Oh for fucksake, the dog breathes fire?!" The Jonin mutters in annoyance as he hurls a Water Dragon Jutsu at Itachi.

It knocks the dog unconscious almost immediately. Banko shakes his head. Honestly, dumb dogs.

"Are you alright, Shiro?" He inquires.

"I got some fucking nasty dog bites and slashes, but I've had worse. Come on. Let's get her back to the Stone Village before the other members of Taka get back here." Shiro grumbles.

Banko shakes his head. He couldn't believe a fucking puppy had almost gotten the better of Shiro. The man was an elite ninja. A Jonin! That was supposed to mean something.

"Hmm that's weird. I though that our Kage said that she was only five months pregnant. She looks more like eight. Better be careful with her. The last thing we need is for her to go into labor on the way there." He says as he grabs Karin and the two of them teleport off.

They couldn't go through the way they came. Not when they were carrying an unconscious pregnant woman. No. They had to teleport to the Forest of Death and then take it from there.

"Yeah. That is a little bizarre. Anyway, let's get going. The other members of Taka will likely be back soon. I'm not a coward, but I don't want to deal with that group when they are angry." Shiro reasons.

"I can't blame you there." His partner agrees as they start making the long trek home.


	16. Chapter 16

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry, this one is so late. I got caught up on some of my other stories. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I went with a rather light "battle chapter," in this one. Mostly because I don't believe that Onoki is stupid and he has some sense of self-preservation.

Chapter 16

A few hours later, the rest of Taka returns back to the District. Suigetsu frowns when he goes to check on Karin and he doesn't hear her whining. Something was up.

"Itachi?" He calls out anxiously.

When he didn't get a response from the puppy, his blood suddenly ran cold. He calls out for Jugo and Sasuke who come running. The three of them warily search the house.

Jugo gasps when he sees Itachi laying on the floor. He wasn't moving. He rushes over and quickly checks to see if he was breathing.

"Is he dead?" Suigetsu asks in a whisper.

He had grown rather attached to the furball. If Itachi was dead, he wasn't going to lie. He'd be upset. He'd never had a pet before and the canine was the closest thing that he'd ever had to one.

"He's still breathing. Someone just knocked him out." Jugo says.

"There's some faint traces of chakra in the air. The floor is damp. Someone probably used a water jutsu." Sasuke says as he calls out desperately for Karin.

Sasuke frowns when he received no response. Karin always responded to him. She might have outgrown her crush on him, but she never ignored him.

"Someone took her!" Sasuke says in horror.

"Yeah. I hate to say it, but I think someone probably realized she was pregnant by you and wasn't too happy about the Uchiha Clan being revived. We have to hurry. Maybe there is a chance that they wanted to grab the super baby, instead of…something much worse." The white haired man says, earning a glower from both Sasuke and Jugo.

They both knew exactly what they meant by that. Sasuke especially knew what he meant. Back in the Warring States Era in particularly, it hadn't been uncommon for pregnant women from bloodline Clans to be targeted.

It was at that moment, that Itachi began to stir. Jugo cradles the poor canine in his arms and Itachi's eyes slowly flutter open. Once he becomes aware that he was conscious again, he looks around in a panic.

"We have to help her! They took Mistress Karin!" He yells.

"Do you know where they took her?!" Sasuke demands and the puppy shakes his head.

"No. I don't know where they took her, but I know their scent and I know hers. I think that we might still be able to track them!" Itachi says as he stumbles to his feet and darts off.

"Suigetsu, go tell Tsuande what happened. Have her send a team after us. They can track us by our scents." Sasuke says as he tugs his shirt off and throws it at the white haired man, before frantically following the ninja dog.

Suigetsu nods and takes off in the opposite direction. As much as he wanted to leave with Sasuke and Jugo he knew that he couldn't. It was better to give the Hokage a heads up about what was happening and send Naruto after them. So that's exactly what he did.

He races inside the Hokage's office. The white haired man didn't bother to knock. Time was of the essence. He didn't have time to waste on being polite.

"Lady Hokage! Someone has kidnapped Karin! Sasuke and Jugo are following their trail, along with Itachi. The dog, not Sasuke's brother…obviously. Anyway, I need some back up and to find Naruto right away!" The violet eyed man says.

Tsunade had just been innocently going through some paperwork when someone barreled into her office. Before she could even ask what they wanted, the person started rambling off. It was Suigetsu and he was panicked.

He had to repeat himself several times before he was even remotely coherent. Eventually, Tsunade realized what he was trying to say and her eyes widen in horror. This couldn't be happening!

"Go get Naruto!" She says to a ninja cat that she had adopted a few months back.

The cat sprinted off. Suigetsu was idly impressed by how fast the feline was. Then again, there were many reasons why ninja cats were popular in some villages. Their speed was definitely one of them.

It didn't take long for the feline to come back with the blonde. Naruto didn't know what was going on, but he knew that it was bad. Really, it was rare to see a cat actually panic, especially a ninja cat.

"What's going on?" He demands.

"Apparently, Karin has been kidnapped. Sasuke and Jugo are in hot pursuit. They sent Suigetsu back to the village to inform us about what was going on and to get reinforcements. According to Jugo, they don't know who took Karin or why. Though it is rather obvious that it likely wasn't for benevolent reasons." The busty Hokage explains.

Naruto blinks. Karin had been kidnapped. Uh oh. Karin was pregnant with Sasuke's twins. That wouldn't end well. He almost felt sorry for whoever was stupid enough to mess with her, but they were asking for it.

"Alright. Let's go. Suigetsu, you can show me the way. I'm sure that Granny Tsunade can send a team of ANBU or something after us. They'll be able to track us easily. We need to get moving!" The blue eyed ninja says.

For once, the sword lover completely agreed. Who knows what the Hell had already happened to Karin?! They might already be too late and God help them all if that was the case.

Sasuke would completely lose it. Those twins were his everything. He'd probably go on some murderous rampage and destroy the Five Nations while he was in a state of grief. The violet eyed ninja doubted that even Naruto would be able to stop him, if things were allowed to reach that point.

"Got it. Follow me!" Suigetsu says as they take off running.

Meanwhile in the Stone Village, Karin wakes up in an unfamiliar room. She was on a bed, but she was restrained by chakra cuffs. Damn it. Whoever had grabbed her, knew what they were doing.

"Ah you are awake. I deeply apologize for all of this unpleasantness. Believe me, I do not take any pleasure in upsetting a pregnant woman." Onoki says.

Karin blinks. She recognized this man has being the Stone Kage. He had clearly ordered her kidnapping. What she didn't know was why. What did he have to gain by kidnapping her?

"If that's true, then you'll let me go and we'll call it even." She says.

Onoki sighs. He really would like to do that. Unfortunately, he was fully aware that he wouldn't be able to grant such a request. It was far too risky. He was old, but he wasn't a fool. Letting her go back to the Leaf would be foolish.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that and deep down, I think you know why. You seem like an intelligent young woman. So I shall speak frankly with you. You are carrying an Uchiha in your womb. Your unique abilities combined with Sasuke's will make that child a formidable ninja." The elderly Kage begins.

Karin twitches. He had kidnapped her because she was pregnant with Sasuke's child. Oh man. This guy was a dead man walking. The minute the Uchiha found him, Onoki would be torn apart limb from limb. It was highly unlikely there would be anything left of him to bury.

"So you kidnapped a pregnant woman because you were afraid her baby might someday be stronger than you were comfortable with?! You have one foot in the coffin. By the time my baby is big enough to be a threat to anyone, you'll be dead and buried." She seethes.

Onoki sighs. He knew what this looked like. He certainly looked like quite the scoundrel here and he knew it. Still the Stone Kage knew that this was what would be best for everyone involved in the long run. He would just have to make her see that.

"I'm very much aware of my age. That is irrelevant to the situation. I am a Kage. I will see to it that my village is protected for as long as I live and do my best to ensure that after I'm gone, they have a fighting chance for survival. You have seen what Sasuke is capable of. Surely, you must understand why I have my concerns." He pleads with her.

She understood his concerns. That didn't mean that Karin was going to forgive him for kidnapping her. It also didn't mean that she understood why he wanted forgiveness in the first place.

"I'm not complaining, but why am I still alive? If you were really that worried about what my child might do in the future, why didn't you kill me while I was unconscious? That would seem to have been the easier route to take." The red head demands.

"I know you must think me quite the monster, but I am not that evil. I wouldn't kill a pregnant woman. No, I simply brought you here so that you could raise your child as a Stone Ninja. Their powers are likely to be exceptional. It would be such a waste to snuff out their light, but I can't trust Sasuke Uchiha to raise that child." He says simply.

So that was it. He wanted her child for the Sharingan and any abilities that her children might inherit from her. Luckily, Onoki didn't seem to know she was pregnant with twins.

Karin supposed that it didn't really matter. His plans would have been the same either way. Still she took comfort in that fact. She knew something he didn't. Knowledge was power.

"And how do I know that you aren't just planning on having me give birth, so you can steal their eyes afterwards?" She demands.

"You're clever. That's a natural assumption, of course. I've given you no reason to trust me and every reason to mistrust me. That is not my intention. Regrettably, I do understand why you aren't able to take me at my word." The Stone Kage says.

Karin glares at him. She could only hope that somehow the rest of her team would find her. Onoki would have a lot of explaining to do when Sasuke found her.

Sasuke, Jugo, and Itachi travel for hours before they arrive in the Stone Village. Sasuke frowns. Why would someone take Karin here? It didn't make any sense.

"I think someone in this village knows about the pregnancy and they aren't happy about it." Jugo whispers.

That made Sasuke's blood run cold. They obviously knew now. Karin was obviously pregnant, but before they found her? Well that was a bit more of a gray area. It was possible that whoever kidnapped Karin had been plotting this for awhile.

"Her scent is coming from the Kage Mansion." Itachi barks.

Damn it. The Kage Mansion? That meant that Onoki was involved. This wasn't just some random Stone Ninja trying to steal himself or herself a pair of Sharingan eyes or commit genocide. It was now likely that a Kage was involved. This was bad news.

"Sasuke, we will find a way to get them back, but for right now the subtle approach is required." Jugo whispers as he caresses his lover's cheek tenderly.

"I know." Sasuke whispers in such a quiet voice that the other man almost didn't hear him.

He knew in his head that Jugo was right. If they rushed in, that could get them all killed. His heart didn't want to listen though. His heart wanted to level that mansion to the ground, grab Karin, kill whoever kidnapped her, and head home.

The two of them quickly slink towards the building. Jugo could be surprisingly stealthy for a man of his size, Sasuke notes in the back of his mind. That might prove useful later.

"She's in there." The orange haired man murmurs.

He could feel Karin's chakra. She was inside that building somewhere. Unfortunately, that was the Kage Mansion. It wouldn't be easy to get by all the guards, without causing an international incident to say the least.

It was at that point that Naruto came rushing in. Thankfully, for once he was stealthy. Sasuke could vaguely sense some other unfamiliar chakra signatures. He assumed that they were the team of ANBU, lurking nearby. He smiles when he saw Suigetsu's white head of hair come into view.

"Hey, bastard. I heard that you had some crazy kidnapper grab Karin and you need some help getting her back. Is that about right?" The blonde asks.

"That's about right. She's inside the Mansion, somewhere. But if we try to fight our way inside, it'll cause an international incident." He mutters.

"I got this. He'll let me in. After all, I helped to win the war and I'm Granny Tsunade's favorite person, after Sakura." He reasons.

Sasuke gives Naruto a look. He didn't really think it was going to be that easy, did he? The blonde was out of his damn mind.

"Don't worry, I got this." Naruto says as he darts inside.

Jugo, Sasuke, and Suigetsu all sigsh. Yes, he was that stupid. Yes, they were going to have to follow him to make sure that Naruto didn't somehow get himself killed.

"Hey, Onoki! You in here?!" The blonde calls out cheerfully.

Onoki blinks when he hears Naruto call out to him. Damn it. Not now! Well at least Karin was asleep, he thinks to himself as he goes to speak with the boisterous blonde that had saved the ninja world.

"Yes, I'm here. What brings you here and at this late hour?" He inquires, trying to use his best grandfatherly voice.

"Look, I know that this is going to sound crazy. So just humor me. I want to know if Karin is here or not. Tell me the truth and this won't get ugly." He says as Team Taka and the ANABU make themselves known.

Onoki gulps. Damn it. He could probably get past the ANBU or maybe Jugo and Suigetsu, but he wasn't going to get past Naruto AND Sasuke. He was outnumbered and outmatched. Oh wonderful. They even brought a ninja dog, just to make the odds a little bit more impossible.

That's when Karin woke up and she started screaming her head off. She could sense her teammates' chakra and Naruto's. They could save her from this crazy nightmare!

"I'M IN HERE! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" She cries out desperately.

"Jugo, please go help Karin." Sasuke says as he slams the elderly ninja against the wall and holds his sword against Onoki's throat.

Onoki's eyes widen in terror. He could saw that he was looking straight into the face of a demon. Sasuke's Sharingan and Rinnegan were both swirling dangerous. He had never been so frightened in all of his life, not even during the war when they went up against Madara Uchiha.

"You had better start talking now. Kidnapping a pregnant woman is NOT cool!" Naruto growls.

Normally, he would have stopped Sasuke from going all homicidal on someone. He especially wouldn't have condoned his best friend threatening a Kage, but this was different. The Stone Kage had apparently kidnapped the mother of Sasuke's children and his distant relative.

Yeah. The blonde liked to consider himself a pretty forgiving guy, but even he had his limits. He wasn't going to let this slide easily.

"I had to do it. Do you have any idea how powerful that child will be?! He or she carries both Uchiha and Uzumaki blood. They will likely be one of the strongest ninjas ever to walk this Earth!" He tries to defend himself.

"So you wanted to kill an innocent baby for the crime of having powerful genetics?!" Sasuke asks as he presses his sword further against his throat.

Onoki gulps. He knew that he was very close to death. Unfortunately, he didn't think that anything he said was going to save him. That's when his guards made their appearance.

"LET GO OF OUR KAGE!" They roar.

"Loser, will you please take out the trash? I am trying to have a conversation here and it's very rude of them to interrupt me, don't you agree?" Sasuke seethes at the Stone Ninjas.

Naruto nods. He makes some clones. The other ninjas stare in awe when they realize who they were fighting. Still Naruto had to give them credit. They didn't back down and they still tried to defend their Kage, even though they knew that failure was inevitable.

"Look, I don't want to have to hurt you guys. So if you just turn around, we'll call this a day." Naruto says as he dodges a punch from one of the Stone Ninja.

"Sorry, Lord Naruto. We can't do that and you know we can't. We can't allow for our Kage to be murdered by that demon!" The guard replies as he continues fighting with all his might.

"Damn. I was hoping that we could skip this part. Alright. SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" The blonde calls out and dozens of clones suddenly form.

Sasuke glares at Onoki. This bastard had kidnapped Karin. The woman who was pregnant with his children. Probably to kill them before they were born or to turn them into some sort of child soldiers. That was unforgivable!

"I'm not cruel enough to kill a pregnant woman. I know that this must look bad, but trust me when I say that this is for the best. You know that you aren't fit to be a father. You've suffered so much. You're emotionally damaged. Leaving a child that will be this powerful with you is a recipe for disaster and I think that deep down, you know that." The Stone Kage tries to reason with him.

"That's not for you to decide! Who the fuck do you think you are?! You don't know me personally and you sure as Hell have no connection to my children! You aren't even a Leaf Villager! I should slit your throat where you stand right now. I should tear you limb from limb until there is nothing of you left! I've committed a lot of crimes, but I never kidnapped a pregnant woman. I was never going to keep a parent from their child!" Sasuke rages at him and his chakra flares around him menacingly.

Onoki was far from a sensory type of ninja, but he could feel it. It was even more menacing than the Nine Tails at the moment. He had never felt fury seeping through chakra before. It was overwhelming. He almost passed out from the sheer proximity to the ominous chakra.

"I was doing what I thought was best for that child and the ninja world as a whole. Look at how you are reacting now! You can't behave this way around an infant!" He protests, struggling to stay conscious.

"Sasuke, you can't kill him. He kinda deserves it. I'm not going to lie. But if you kill him, it's going to start another Great Ninja War. He's a Kage." Naruto says.

"Do you have a better idea, loser?! Because I'm not going to let this kidnapper get away with this! He has to be punished!" The raven haired man snaps at his best friend.

Naruto frowns. He couldn't exactly disagree with Sasuke. Onoki couldn't be allowed to get away with this, without some form of punishment.

"Old man, you are going to give Sasuke's kids citizenship in the Stone Village. They'll have dual citizenship. Both of the twins are going to live in the Leaf, but you are going to offer your Kageship to them when the time comes. You are going to listen them as both potential successors. Then if either of them want it, one of the twins will become Kage. If they both want it, they will be Co-Kages. Got it?" Naruto says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. That was surprisingly politically savvy. That wasn't like him. Sasuke privately had to admit on some level, he was impressed.

"What if I die or have to step down while they are small children?" He demands.

"Then when the next opportunity comes along, they will get the first offers. You don't have a choice. You can agree and live or you can disagree and be responsible for another Great Ninja War. Do you think that the Leaf is going to allow you to get away with kidnapping one of their citizens without any form of retaliation? And a pregnant woman at that?!" Sasuke demands.

Onoki gulps. As much as he was loathed to admit it, they had him and all of them knew it. He would never be able to justify kidnapping a pregnant woman. Damn it.

"Very well. I can agree to those terms." He sighs heavily.

"Oh cheer up. You have no idea how fucking lucky you are. Sasuke would have utterly destroyed you, if you didn't agree. I would have had fun playing with the pieces. The only one allowed to fuck with Karin is me. Got it, asshole?" Suigetsu says as he walks over and socks the Stone Kage hard enough to break his nose.

"AHHHH!" He cries out in pain.

"Does that mean that you are finally going to admit that you like Karin?" Sasuke asks dryly.

"What?! Hell no! I mean she's my teammate and this asshole kidnapped a pregnant woman! He had it coming! It's a matter of principle!" Suigetsu says and even Itachi shakes his head at Suigetsu's denial.

Meanwhile Jugo rushes into the room where Kairn was being held. He quickly frees her from the chakra cuffs and helps the pregnant woman stand up. Karin sighs in relief and clings to Jugo.

"Thank you. Thank you, so much for getting me out of here! I knew you guys would come!" She says.

"How could we ever leave you and the twins behind. Don't worry. It's all going to be okay." He tells her and returns her friendly hug.

After a few moments, he leads her outside to where Sasuke and Naruto were still giving the Stone Kage a good tongue lashing. It looked like Naruto's clones had knocked out all the Stone Ninja Guards rather quickly.

"Karin! Are you okay?!" Sasuke and Suigestu both ask at once.

"Yeah. I think so. This freak kidnapped me. He said that he wanted to raise the child as a Stone Villager because it was too dangerous to leave them in Sasuke's hands." She mutters.

"Oh yes, we've already had discussions with the freak. We are going home. The twins are going to receive dual citizenship in the Leaf and Stone Village, with the option of becoming a Stone Kage later on." Sasuke informs her.

Karin blinks. Only Naruto, Sasuke, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Itachi could pull something like that off. Somehow they had forced her kidnapper to give the twins dual citizenship and the chance to become a Kage someday?! Seriously, she had no idea how they could pull of miracles like that!

"Do I even want to know how you managed that?" She asks.

"Probably not. Let's just go home." Sasuke replies and Suigetsu nods as he allows Karin to lean on him.

Itachi was ecstatic. The puppy fluffs Karin's legs happily and his tail was wagging a thousand miles per hour. It was quite cute really.

"I'm so sorry, Mistress Karin. I should have protected you better. Can you ever forgive me?" He asks.

"Itachi, it isn't your fault. You did the best you could and you brought them here to save me. Without you, I'd probably still be strapped down." She says with a smile and she pets him.

With that, the strange procession heads back towards the Leaf Village. Sasuke and Jugo walk hand in hand while Suigetsu and Naruto help Karin find her balance. And naturally, Itachi led the way. (After all, he had been the one who really saved the day.)


	17. Chapter 17

Honesty

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I want to thank everyone who supported this unlikely pair from beginning to end. It didn't seem to catch fire, but I do believe that we have made a strong case for it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and if you are interested, feel free to check out my other stories.

 **Chapter Notation:** This is the epilogue. Unless you see a scene in Italics, it takes place twenty years after the last one.

Chapter 17

"Father, papa don't look so sad. I'll still visit regularly and this is a good thing. It means our family is spreading out. Let them try to hurt us again, when I'm a Kage now." A young woman says, twenty years later.

Her name was Naoko. She was Sasuke and Karin's eldest child. Her name meant honest and pure. Well she certainly was purely honest. She could be tactful when she desired to be though. Apparently, this one of those times.

"I know. It's just hard to accept that you're all grown up now and that you won't be living with us back in the District anymore." Sasuke says as he kisses his daughter's forehead.

"You knew that was going to happen when you and Uncle Naruto forced Onoki to promise either me or Kurama the Kageship." She says with a reassuring smile.

Kurama was Sasuke and Karin's second child. He was their first son. Sasuke had named him after the Nine Tails. Why? Quite frankly, he wanted to fuck with people. Who was going to mess with a boy named after a fox demon that could level villages? No one. That's who.

"Yes, we knew. I just don't think either of us expected for the time to pass by so quickly." Jugo says as he hugs her.

Sasuke smiles. The twins could have almost passed for Jugo's biological children. They both had Karin's hair and eye color. Naoko was the spitting image of her paternal grandmother. She looked exactly like Mikoto Uchiha save for coloration.

Kurama had the same vibrant hair color and exotic eyes as his sister. Though his hair was styled like Madara's. Other than that, he looked almost identical to his father.

"Well you know what they say, time flies when you are having fun." Kurama says with a wink.

Kurama was powerful, but he was also rather easy going. He had a playful nature. It was because of that that he had decided not to become a CoKage. He couldn't imagine himself sitting behind a desk for hours at a time, battling paperwork. Naoko was just the more practical of the two of them.

"That's true." Tatsuya agrees with a smile.

Sasuke had four children, but there were two different mothers. Karin understandably less than eager to be a surrogate again after what happened last time. Surprisingly, Kurenai had volunteered to help them out.

In the end, Karin was Kurama and Naoko's biological mother. While Kurenai was Tatsuya's and Ayaka's birth mother. Sasuke was actually rather pleased by this.

The fact that two women had helped to revive the Uchiha Clan meant that there was more genetic diversity. That was always a good thing for a Clan. (Quite honestly, sometimes Sasuke wondered how the Hyuga Clan managed to remain so insular and yet so healthy.)

"You look beautiful in your Kage robes, big sister." Ayaka says.

"Thank you, little sister." Naoko says as she smiles and flicks her baby sister's forehead affectionately.

Ayaka was the youngest of Sasuke's children. She had raven black hair like both of her biological parents and had inherited Kurenai's naturally light red eyes. Her Sharingan didn't change in color when activated, save for her tomoes. Her hair spilled a few inches past her shoulders regally and she had inherited most of Kurenai's facial features with Sasuke's trademark ivory cream colored skin.

Ayaka's name meant flower. She lived up to it. Unlike most of her siblings who had a natural fire affinity, her first affinity was earth. At sixteen, her unique fighting style had already made her a Jonin.

"Yeah. You clean up good." Kurama teases her.

Tatsuya was also sixteen and a Jonin. Like his sister he had dark semi curled hair that reached to his shoulders, along with red eyes. His name meant to achieve and he lived up to it. All of the Uchiha children were bright, but it was Tatsuya who was truly the academic at heart. It was rare to see him without a book or a scroll in his hand.

"You don't look so bad yourself, brother. Maybe you'll actually get that Sand Ninja to notice you." Naoko says with a smirk that caused Kurama to blush.

"Oh yeah. She's definitely Sasuke's kid. Smirks just like him and everything." Naruto says with a laugh.

Karin shakes her head in amusement as she stands next to Kurenai. The two of them were both very proud mothers. She was actually rather impressed with how seamlessly, the Genjutsu Mistress had accepted that the biological father of two of her children had twins with another surrogate. That and how she made sure that Mirai never felt left out, despite her being the only "Uchiha Sibling" without any Uchiha blood.

"So have you noticed any cute guys in the Stone Village?" Mirai asks Naoko cheerfully.

"I haven't really had a chance to look. Mostly because I don't want father to traumatize anyone that I look at before I'm officially a Kage." She admits.

"I would not traumatize someone for you looking at them." Sasuke protests.

Immediately all the Uchiha siblings and everyone else in the room gives him a look. They didn't buy that. They were also pretty sure that Sasuke knew that wasn't accurate either.

"Sasuke, I think that we all know that what she said is entirely accurate. It's alright. You are just overprotective because you care." Jugo says as he kisses his cheek.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with making sure that anyone that catches their eye is suitable." Sasuke grumbles.

Jugo shakes his head and wraps his arms around the Uchiha Patriarch. Sasuke was the very definition of a protective father. All his kids were sixteen and older though. It was time to loosen the reigns, just a bit.

"That's true. Though it's a little hard for any of them to find girlfriends or boyfriends, when their potential suitors are all worried you'll Chidori them." Emi notes in amusement.

Emi was Suigetsu and Karin's daughter. She was 18 and a weapon's mistress. She had inherited her father's love of swords and his snowy white locks which flowed down to her waist. Her eyes were the same color as her mother's though and she wore glasses like Karin.

Yes, somehow Karin and Suigetsu had resolved their sexual tension. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure how they FINALLY got together, but he was relieved that they had. It made things so much easier for everyone involved.

"Um I get Itachi, Mitsu, their children, grandchildren, etc. But I think that Aoda and Garuda might raise some eyebrows." Naruto points out.

"I know that a giant snake and hawk might frighten some people, but I didn't have the heart to tell them no. They are all looking forward to the ceremony." Naoko says.

That was putting it mildly. Naruto glances out the window and notes that more than a few Stone Villagers were a bit wary of the truly enormous bird and reptile. Still they knew that they were Sasuke's Summons. So thankfully, a panic hadn't erupted. Well at least not yet.

Sasuke smiles as they prepare to head out for the ceremony. It was hard to believe. His children were all grown now. They were all Jonin. It seemed like only yesterday, Kurama and Naoko were born.

 _"THE PUPPIES ARE COMING! THE PUPPIES ARE COMING! WE NEED TO GET MISTRESS KARIN TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT AWAY! ARF! ARF!" Itachi barked loudly._

 _That made everyone spring into action really quickly. In almost no time at all, Karin was taken to the hospital. For once, Sasuke was actually happy to see Tsunade._

 _No one was a better medic than her. If anyone could deliver the twins safely, it was the busty Hokage. That did calm him down somewhat. Well at the very least, it kept him from completely freaking out._

 _"Don't worry, my shield. Everything will be fine. Karin is hardly the first woman to give birth before." Jugo tried to reassure him._

 _"I know. I just can't believe it's finally happening. We are going to have a family." Sasuke whispered._

 _"We've always been a family. Now it's just growing, but I feel the same way." Jugo said as they walked into the delivery room._

 _Needless to say it was a bit crowded. Normally, only the father and mother were allowed in. Tsunade wasn't' stupid though. She knew if she didn't let Naruto and the rest of Team Taka in, there wouldn't be a hospital left to deliver the twins in. So she was a bit more lenient than she normally would have been about the rules._

 _Karin didn't exactly go into motherhood with grace, but Sasuke didn't blame her. It couldn't be easy to deliver one baby, let alone two. After what seemed like an eternity and many death threats from the red head, two loud cries were eventually heard._

 _"There they are. You two were rather cruel to your mother. I'm going to have a look and make sure they are healthy. Shizune, will you help Karin clean up?" The blonde asked and Shizune rushed over to help Karin._

 _Team Taka and Naruto watched Tsunade anxiously. They were all waiting with baited breath to find out if the twins were healthy or not. Naruto was the most worried. If something went wrong with Sasuke's kids, he wasn't even sure that HE'D be able to calm the bastard down. It was a little frightening in all honesty._

 _"They're both perfectly healthy." Tsunade said after a few agonizing minutes._

 _She wisely places the two bundles of joy into Karin's arms and steps back. Sasuke was at her side in a flash. She had never seen anyone move so swiftly before, not even during the war._

 _"They are pretty cute rugrats, I have to give you that much." Suigetsu said merrily._

 _"Pretty cute?! How fucking dare you?! They are clearly the most beautiful babies in the entire world!" Karin snapped at him._

 _"Well it's kinda a miracle really. I guess Sasuke's pretty boy genes won out over your tomboy genes." The violet eyed ninja continued taunting the new mother._

 _Sasuke rolled his eyes. It was rather clear that Suigetsu had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. You didn't taunt a woman after she just gave birth, especially not a red headed ninja woman. That was just asking for it._

 _True to form, Karin started cussing up a storm and tried to strangle Suigetsu. Multiple times. Sasuke was actually a bit impressed by how brutal Karin could be. Damn._

 _"They're beautiful, Sasuke. Truly." Jugo said._

 _"I know they are, but thank you. I love you. You know that, right?" Sasuke asked as he caressed Jugo's cheek._

 _Jugo smiled and kissed the palm of Sasuke's hand. Of course, he knew that. He might have been a little insecure initially about Karin carrying Sasuke's twins, but that was over now. It had obviously all worked out in the end._

 _"I know that. I never doubted that for a second." He told him and Sasuke smiled._

 _"Can we see the hatchlings?" Aoda asked as he peeked his giant head through the window._

 _Sasuke blinked. He could only hope that the snake's appearance hadn't caused a panic. That wouldn't end well._

 _"Of course." Sasuke said as he scooped up the twins and brought them towards the window._

 _For the animals, it was love at first sight. Aoda, Itachi, and Garuda adored the "hatchlings." The twins seemed utterly fascinated by them as well. Not that Sasuke could blame them, even he was still a little in awe of Aoda and Garuda some days and who didn't love puppies?_

 _"Who would have though that Sasuke's kids would be so cute?" Naruto asked with a laugh._

 _"That's it! CHIDORI!" Sasuke said as he chased after the now running blonde._

The memory brought a smile to Sasuke's face even now. He had gotten what he had always wanted. A family.

Naoko takes the stage and a loud chorus of cheers and applause rang up. Sasuke felt very proud. She definitely had a regal walk. They had gone over this. It was important to carry yourself the right way or people would walk all over you.

"I see that catwalk practicing really helped!" Kurama chimes merrily.

Sasuke gives his eldest son a dirty look for that comment. Kurama seemed to thrive on questioning authority. It was just another reason why he shouldn't be a Kage. He had the ability and the intelligence, but not the temperament.

Kurama was much better off as a combat ninja. He specialized in Ninjutsu. Like his father, he enjoyed using the Chidori. However, he was fond of all weather based attacks really. Fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, etc. You name it and the mischievous ninja would do it.

"Big brother is going to get in a lot of trouble at this rate." Akaya notes with a giggle and Tatsuya nods in agreement.

"Yeah. He is pushing his luck." Naruto agrees with more than a hint of amusement in his voice.

Tatsuya wasn't nearly as "flashy" as his elder brother. He preferred to look before he leapt. Maybe that was why he was training to become a medic. It was a new experience for people to see a Uchiha heal instead of destroy. So that career choice had raised a lot of eyebrows at first, but eventually everyone had accepted it.

"Thank you all for coming. It means the world to me, my family, and the Stone Village that you have all decided to attend." Naoko says to the crowd.

Ayaka was different though. She was training to become an Academy Instructor. While her sister excelled in Genjutsu, she preferred to rely on Taijutsu and some Ninjutsu. She couldn't resist a good Chidori anymore than her other siblings.

Sasuke was quite content that his youngest child had chosen to become an Academy Instructor. It was one of the safest jobs that could be chosen. That and Medic. Obviously Kage and Combat Ninja were more concerning, but he had faith in his children's abilities. He, Taka, and Naruto had taught them well. Even his summons and the dogs had chipped in.

"She'll be a good Kage." Jugo whispers to Sasuke and he nods.

Naoka would make a damn good Kage. She had been training for it all her life really. While he had never been as obsessed with it as Naruto, Sasuke though tit was poetic justice in a way. Finally, his Clan was going to lead a ninja village.

It wasn't the village that they had helped to found, but that was alright. Maybe it was better to do so in a village where Naoka's part of the Clan would have a relatively clean slate. Away from the horrors of the past.

"I know she will be. This ought to make the Leaf think twice about ordering another Massacre in the future. Now we are spread out to two villages and if they tried it, it would definitely trigger another Ninja War." Sasuke whispers.

Jugo gives his lover a sad look. He places a reassuring kiss to the top of his head and sighs. For twenty-one years, things had been going peacefully. Well minus the whole Onoki kidnapping a pregnant Karin thing. The gentle giant was almost positive that things would stay that way.

Sasuke wasn't so sure. The orange haired man got the impression that the Uchiha Patriarch was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was worried that this would all be taken away from them somehow.

"Sasuke, it's alright now. You don't have to worry about anything. Everyone's safe now. Alright?" He asks.

"You're right. I'm being a bit paranoid. Today's a good day. Naoko is becoming Hokage. Tatsuya is about to become an official medic. Somehow Kurama hasn't blown up the village and Akaya is an assistant instructor." He says with a smile.

"That's right. They are all doing amazingly. You raised them well. You should be proud. Don't let the past allow itself to be a dark cloud over your head on a day like today." He says and kisses Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke smiles. He was very grateful that he had Jugo. The man always knew exactly the right thing to say. People were still rather shocked that the two of them were together, but had gotten used to it.

It would be difficult to find a pair of people who were more different. Somehow though, it worked. The two were like Yin and Yang. They were complete opposites, yet fit together perfectly.

"I love you." Sasuke tells him.

"I love you too. Though you should probably move about three feet back." Jugo warns him.

"Why?" The raven haired man asks with a raised eyebrow as he does as his lover bid him.

Suddenly a loud meow is heard as a ninja cat rushes past them. Despite his old age, Itachi and his Mate were still chasing after cats. This was much to the bane of any feline in the nearby area. Thankfully, Suigetsu was able to rescue the kitty.

"That's why. You'd think he was still a puppy." Jugo laughs.

"Yeah you would think so." Sasuke agrees and he smiles as the ceremony continues on.

The celebration continued until late into the night. There was music, dancing, food, and grand time was had by all. Sasuke hadn't seen a celebration that was anywhere near as jubilant since the end of the war. It was impressive really.

"Good night." Sasuke says to their children as he hugs them and Jugo does the same.

"You are going to bed this early? Father, you're getting old." Kurama teases him.

Sasuke twitches at that. He playfully rolls his eyes at his eldest son and flicks his forehead. He deserved that!

"Owe! I'm just saying. It's not that late." Kurama insists.

"Kurama, it's 3 in the morning. Besides, I doubt that Jugo and Sasuke will be getting much sleep anyway." Naruto says with a grin.

Jugo shakes his head. He walks over to Naruto and gives him a swift swat upside the head. Honestly, the man had a heart of gold. Every once in awhile though, he would say something that made it obvious he had been taught by two perverts. Jirayia and Kakashi.

"Owe! Hey, I was just teasing!" He grumbles.

"Uh huh. Good night, loser. Come on, Jugo." Sasuke says with a smile and the two of them head off towards the hotel that they were staying in for the night.

Sasuke smiles and he opens the door to their hotel room. Their children had insisted that they get the Honeymoon Suite. Sasuke thought it was sweet actually.

"They certainly went all out. The rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed are a nice touch." The gentle giant muses.

"Yes, they are. I feel almost guilty that we are going to mess up the bed." Sasuke says with a smirk as he pulls Jugo down for a deep kiss.

It really was a romantic room with soft blue walls and a plush white carpet. There was a golden canopy bed with a giant heart made out of rose petals on it. There was even a romantic looking fireplace with a love sofa in the middle of the living room next to a coffee table that had a romantic dinner laid out on it. Sasuke idly notes that there was also a mini kitchen and a bathroom.

Jugo smiles and returns the kiss. Some days, he couldn't believe that it had actually happened. That he and Sasuke were together and had a family. (Well they weren't his biological children, but in every other respect the twins were his sons and daughters as much as they were Sasuke's.)

"They are good kids." Jugo says after breaking the kiss.

"Very good kids. Hell they even remembered to get us some champagne. Nice. We taught them well. I have always told them that it's the details that will make or break anything you do." Sasuke says as he pours them both a glass.

"That's true. So how strong do you think that bed is?" The orange haired man inquires.

Sasuke glances at it and smirks. Jugo couldn't help but think that Naoka had definitely inherited his smirk. All the Second Generation Uchihas had actually. It never failed to make his heart skip a beat though.

He knew fully well what that smirk meant. Naruto had been right. They definitely weren't going to get any sleep tonight. Jugo definitely didn't mind that fact in the slightest though.

"Oh I'd say that it looks strong enough." Sasuke says after putting the glass down and he quickly pins Jugo to the bed playfully.

"I hope so." He says and smiles up at Sasuke before flipping them.

He was probably the only person that Sasuke would ever allow to dominate him. They did change occasionally. In general though, the Uchiha Patriarch was just fine with letting his lover take the reigns.

"Mmm me too. I've always wondered why you wanted me in the first place. I know it wasn't just because of my looks. You aren't that shallow." He muses.

"You were my cage. The only thing that kept me from going into a rage. After that, well I began to notice things. You're looks certainly helped. The wrapping paper is very nice, but mostly it was your ability to survive with your sanity intact." He admits.

"Well that's very…romantic." Sasuke says sarcastically.

"Well you asked. Also you have a very nice ass. That definitely helped." Jugo informs him with a grin.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. If nothing else, he could count on Jugo to be completely honest. That was probably one of the things that he loved best about him. Well other than the fact he was an amazing lover and father. Though those three things were closely linked in his mind. All of them reflected his caring and genuine nature.

"And I fell for you because of your honesty and your gentleness. The great sex definitely helped too of course." He admits.

"I can live with that." Jugo says and kisses him.

"Mmm good." Sasuke replies after returning the kiss.

The two spent the rest of the early morning and most of the following afternoon in each other's arms. They were a tangled pile of limbs and heated moans. The rest of the world simply ceased to exist for a few hours. They were with their most precious person and that's what mattered most.

"MEOW! WHY CAN'T YOU CRAZY MUTTS LEAVE ME ALONE?!" A ninja cat hisses in the morning as she darts across their honeymoon suite and some of Itachi's descendents chase after her.

"Some things never change." Sasuke mutters in annoyance once their afterglow was rudely interrupted.

"Well as long as I have you, I think that I can put up with some ninja animals with lousy timing." Jugo says.

Sasuke smiles. That was true. Eventually the animals would wear themselves out. Besides, they had more important things to do. They really should shower before they left to have lunch with the kids.

"True. Let's go get cleaned up. The kids are waiting for us." Sasuke says.

"Alright." Jugo says as he follows his lover.

They were rather late for lunch. In Jugo's defense, a naked Uchiha in a shower was a very hard thing to resist. There were after all benefits to taking another S Class Ninja as your lover. One of them was stamina.

"YOU'RE LATE! Where were you two?!" Naruto demands.

"Oh we just lost track of time." Jugo says with a smirk.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. Alright. So Jugo told one white lie in the over twenty years they had been together. He still had an impressive track record of honesty and what the kids didn't know, wouldn't hurt them. Besides, who wanted to hear about their fathers spending some quality time in the shower together?

"Liar!" Naruto says and the others just laugh.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Sasuke smiles as they head back to the Leaf. Jugo and Sasuke walk hand in hand together. Just as they had done for the past twenty years. After all, Sasuke never went anywhere without his shield.


End file.
